You Can't Stay Away, Can You?
by mavk4444
Summary: Logan Mitchell and Kendall Knight stopped being friends after an agreement between them goes wrong. Two years later, they find themselves as neighbors and coworkers. Their new boss, Jett Stetson, has a history of hurting people, and he's got his eyes set on Logan. Kendall's willing to do anything to keep them apart, but Logan's determined to beat Jett at his own game.
1. The Not-So-New Start

_Finally._

I breathed in the crisp air, grinning wide. The sun beat down around, giving off heat that battles the chill the blowing wind gave out. I gripped my suitcase tighter in my hands and approached the house.

_My_ house.

After a grueling battle with my mother and father (not physical, of course), I finally was allowed to move out. I finally had a place to my own. My mother could no longer pinch my cheeks like I was five, and my father would get off my back about taking over the family business. I had bigger dreams that owning a deli for the rest of my life, _thank you very much_.

Trailing my bags behind me, I walked up the concrete steps that led to a decent sized porch. I fished my keys out of my pocket and inserted it into the lock, twisting and turning until the door gave in with an eerie whine. I pushed it open and propped one of the bags against it so that it wouldn't close shut. I entered the house, my grin widening as I took in the house.

The hallway had dark wood floor panels. Near the door was a small table. I set my keys down on it before I entered further into the house. The hallway led to the kitchen. White, ceramic tiles covered the floor. The cabinets were light, and the appliances all looked new. Across from the living room was the dining room, with simple chairs and a table. I didn't stay in there for long.

The living room had a black couch and a coffee table in front of it. In front of that was a black TV stand, and of course, the TV was on top of it. I was delighted to see I had been supplied with a cable box as well. The perks of buying a fully furnished house! Across from the living room was the bathroom, which I didn't bother going in.

After I finished in the living room, I headed up the stairs to the second floor. There were five doors. The first, which was closet to me, was a guest bedroom. I briefly looked around. The bed frame was cream, the same color as the walls (just like the whole inside of the house was...well, from what I'd seen so far). There was a dresser, a nightstand, and a small closet. I closed the door behind me and headed to the second room.

This was a home office. The desk had a small table lamp on it, and a plush, black desk chair in front of it. The windows were bare, so I made a mental note to buy blinds or something later. I left and headed to the third room.

I instantly decided it would be my bedroom. The walls, unlike all the other walls, were a deep blue. The bed frame was a deep mahogany color. There was a dresser, with a mirror on the top part. The nightstand was a bit larger than the one in the guest room. The closet was also larger. I smiled and shut the door behind me.

The fourth room was completely empty. It didn't even have any curtains or blinds on the window. I shrugged, deciding I would turn it into _something _at a later time.

The four door was a just a small closet. I would turn it into the linen closet. Satisfied, I headed back downstairs. I went out the open front door and to my car, where I grabbed the rest of of things. I didn't have much, so I would finish unpacking quickly.

After about an hour, I was almost done. I had unpacked all of my clothes and other belongings, which were in my room. I had also unpacked all the bathroom and kitchen things, which were in their rightful places. All that was left was all my electronics, and a box that was unlabeled. I took the box with the electronics in first, and put it in the office room. Then I went back outside and picked up the last box. I kicked the door closed and was about to head back inside when I heard a voice.

"Hey!"

Startled, I almost dropped the box. I whirled around, watching as man that looked a few years older than me jogged up. I waited on the porch, shifting the box to rest against my hip. When he got closer, I could see he had blonde hair that hung in his eyes, which were a vibrant green.

"What-" I cut myself off as soon as the man stood in front of me. He, too, seemed to be at a lost for words. I guess meeting your best friend, I mean, _ex-best friend_, would do that to a guy. I looked away. He cleared his throat.

"Mitchell." He began simply. I growled.

"Knight."

"You live here now?"

"Yep."

"I live next door."

"Oh."

"I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood."

"Hm."

"You looked different than the last time I saw you." Kendall, obviously tired of my one word answers, decided to say something that would provoke a somewhat detailed response._Sneaky bastard._

"The last time I saw you, I was scratching at your face and you were punching me while we screamed our heads off at each other." I said dryly. Kendall gave me a pained look.

"Don't remind me."

"Hey, you brought it up." I said innocently. Kendall opened his mouth to say something, but then he snapped his mouth shut. He narrowed his eyes.

"I see you still have that annoying 'I'm always right' attitude about you." He said. I raised my eyebrows.

"I thought you wanted to welcome me to the neighborhood? And I am always right, for you information." Okay, that last part was a lie.

"I was, but then I saw it was _you_." He gestured towards me. I shifted the box to my other hip and faked a yawn.

"Well, it's me. Are we done now? I have to finish unpacking." I said. Kendall raised his eyebrows.

"Seems like you're done to me." He said, jutting his head towards my closed car. I gritted my teeth.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" He exclaimed. I smirked.

"Well, you're still standing in front of me." I said. Kendall looked surprised as he glanced down at his feet. Then he groaned and turned around.

"Whatever." He grumbled, walking down the stairs. "Have fun 'unpacking'!" He called over his shoulder.

I glared at his retreating back before stomping inside and slamming the door closed.


	2. The Agreement That Started It All

Once I was back in the safety of my house and free of any more annoyances (more commonly known as Kendall Knight), I decided to open the unlabeled box. I set it on the dining room table and found a pair of scissors. I cut off the tape and rolled it into a small ball I would throw out later. I lifted one of the flaps and looked inside. There, in neat little piles, were every picture ever taken of me from when I was born all the way up to a month before I moved out.

"Wow." I muttered to myself. I reached into the box, plucking up a photo from the bottom of a stack. The rest of the pictures fell, but I didn't care.

The picture I had chosen was from when I was about five. I was standing in front of a large, glass tank. It was from the trip my mother, father, and I had taken to the aquarium. I had a huge smile on my face as I stood in front of a tank with black-tipped sharks inside.

I set the picture down and picked up the box, dumping out all of the pictures. All across the table were pieces of my childhood, with big grins and dripping ice cream cones. There were my adolescent years, with awkward pimples and braces plastered onto my teeth. And finally, the small part of my adulthood my parents had managed to capture. I looked pissed in most of the pictures, scowling and putting my hand in front of the camera lens in a not-so-mature way.

One picture in particular caught my eye. It was from when I was around fourteen. I looked happy, happier than I had in any other pictures. I stood in front of a blue house that I didn't recognize as the one I had grown up in. My arm was slung around what I assumed was another person, but that side of the picture was covered by others. I brushed the others away and gingerly picked up the photo.

The boy standing next to me had his arm wrapped around my waist. His hair hung down in his eyes, but you could still see they were a bright green. His hair was dirty blonde and mostly covered by a backwards black baseball cap. I frowned and put the picture on the table, flipping it over so I couldn't see it.

I should have remembered that the person I hung out the most with was Kendall. And, of course, my mother would pack those in with the other pictures. Even after the fight, my mom thought we would still be friends. She said that we were too close to have our friendship end over something so small.

_"_Obviously not."

I remembered that Kendall had replied with those exact words when my mother voiced her thoughts on our terminated friendship, and I suddenly wished I could take the words back. It was crazy how such a small phrase could remind me of such a bad time in my life.

I sighed and sat down at the table, pushing the photos back. I folded my arms and leaned my head on them, closing my eyes.

**_Two Years Ago_**

_"Haha, very funny." I said, glaring. Kendall shook his head, laughing._

_"Logan, I didn't mean it like that! It's just I've never seen anyone so...passionate about it." He said. My glare intensified._

_"For your information, I do **not**_ _masturbate to chemistry. In fact, I don't masturbate at all." I said. Kendall's face squished up in disgust._

_"Dude, too much information." He said. I shrugged, smirking._

_"You started it." I said, leaning back on his bed._

_Kendall shifted next to me, and we fell into a comfortable silence._

_"You really don't masturbate?" He asked after a few minutes. My face heated up._

_"No." I mumbled._

_"Seriously?"_

_"Yes. Unlike you, my right hand isn't my Friday night date every week." I teased, holding up my own right hand and wriggling my fingers. "Besides, why do you care so much about if I masturbate or not?"_

_"It's just I've never heard of it. You're the first person I've met who's a sixteen and has no interest in anything sexual." He said. I shrugged, adjusting the pillow behind my head._

_"I have better things to do with my time that have sex or pleasure myself." I said._

_"Dude, you sound asexual." He said. I punched Kendall's shoulder weakly._

_"I'm not asexual, I just haven't found anyone I want to have sex with." I said._

_"Logan, there's plenty of hot guys at school for you to hook up with." I blushed. Kendall knew I was gay, and was extremely supportive of me. Which I guess wasn't an option, with him being my best friend and all. But he was straight, so hearing him calling other guys hot was pretty funny. And him suggesting I "hook up" with one of them for the sole purpose of sex was embarrassing._

_"Ugh, no. Most of them are assholes." I said._

_"What about me? I'm hot and I'm not an asshole." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. I covered my now burning face with my hands._

_"Dude, no. You're my best friend. I would never have sex with you. It'd be weird. And besides, you're straight." I said._

_"So? I've checked out guys before. Hell, I checked you out once." I removed my hands from my face and looked at Kendall, shocked._

_"What?" I half asked, half exclaimed. Kendall shrugged._

_"A week ago, when you came over here for a sleepover. I told you to go put in the movie and you bent down. Your ass was pretty much in my face." He said. My blush darkened._

_"You were halfway across the room!" I said._

_"Dude, have you seen your ass? It's a pretty nice ass. It was kind of hard not to look."_

_"Kendall!"_

_"What? I'm just saying!" He held his hands up defensively. I shook my head._

_"I hope realize what you just said." I said. Kendall shrugged again._

_"I have no regrets." He said, grinning. "Besides, you should be flattered. You have me, a straight guy, telling you that you're ass is pretty damn nice." He added, winking._

_"You are..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. Kendall smirked._

_"I know, I know. Motherfucking awesome!" I shook my head and laughed._

_"Alright, sure."_

_We fell into another silence._

_"Have you ever been kissed?" He asked. I laughed nervously._

_"What's up with you today? First you brought up masturbating, then my ass, and now whether or not I've been kissed?" Kendall rolled his eyes._

_"C'mon, just answer the question." He said. I flushed and looked away._

_"No. I've never been kissed." I mumbled. Kendall looked surprised._

_"Really?" He asked. I nodded._

_"Yeah." We both went quiet. Kendall studied me before leaning forward._

_"Do you trust me?" He asked._

_"Yes..." I said. He leaned in even more, our faces inches apart._

_"Then can I try something?" He asked. Despite the uncomfortable feeling in my gut, I nodded._

_"Y-Yes." I whispered._

_He leaned in the last couple of inches and pressed his lips against mine. My eyes widened as his hands gripped my hips. I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. After a few moments of me not moving, I slowly began to move my lips against his._

_"I've always wondered what this would be like." He mumbled after he pulled away. I raised an eyebrow._

_"What, kissing a boy?" I asked. He shook his head._

_"No, kissing you." My face heated up for what felt like the thousandth time._

_"O-Oh." I said, not sure of how to respond. My best friend, who happened to be straight, had been thinking of what it would be like to kiss me._

_"I don't think I'm completely straight. I mean, I like girls and I think they're hot and I've had sex with them. But I think you're pretty hot too, and I've thought about having sex with you."_

_I blushed heavily and turned away. This was too much information to take in!_

_"Kendall..." I started._

_"I want to know. I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to do it." He said._

_He began to kiss me again. I felt lightheaded. The room felt too hot and everything seemed to be spinning around and around._

_"I want to." I found myself saying. I didn't fully register what I'd said until Kendall grinned and pressed his lips to mine again._

_"I'll be gentle." He promised, and I let him lay me back on the bed._

_"Okay..."_

My eyes shot open and I sat up quickly. I couldn't believe that of all the things I could think of, I had chosen _that__._

It was the reason our friendship had ended. The day after we had sex, I had begun to think differently about Kendall. I guess he had too, because every time one of our parents weren't home we'd go over to the other's house and have sex. A friends with benefits kind of thing. Which, at the time, I thought wouldn't end so bad. Clearly, I was wrong.

Anyway, a month after our little arrangement started things started going south. I had fallen in love with Kendall. He however didn't feel the same. I'd gotten pretty jealous when I came into school one day and saw him in a heated lip-lock with some chick in the grade below us. We'd gotten into this huge fight, with him screaming about how it was only for the sex and me screaming that I'd fallen in love with him. It obviously didn't bode well with him, since he punched me. I scratched his face, and it turned into a full out brawl the whole school talked about for about three weeks.

For the first year after it happened, I had wanted to apologize. But in the second year, I figured it wasn't worth it. I'd begun a strong dislike for him because of what had happened (well, hate would be a more accurate word, but I don't think he matters enough to me anymore to use such a strong emotion).

I sighed.

Two years later, and he manages to get all riled up. I stared at the pictures before gathering them up and dumping them into the box. I took it upstairs to the empty room, where I hid it in the closet.

Suddenly, for the first time, I wished I was back in my parents house.

Because there, I didn't have thoughts of Kendall plaguing my mind because of a single picture. I sighed again as my brain began to point out every detail of the fight to me, from the way his fist collided with my jaw to the way I raked my fingernails down his cheek.

_God damn it, Kendall._


	3. Personal Assistant

"Dude, that blows." I rolled my eyes and swatted at him with a placemat.

"Shut the fuck up, okay?"

"Damn Logan, chill."

"God damn it Diamond!" I threw my hands up, pacing the length of the dining room.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Whatever James." I ran my fingers through my hair. James squinted at me.

"Are you on your period?"

"You know what? I'm going to…" I trailed off. I could finish my threat, but James and I both knew I wouldn't go through with it.

I had met James at our high school graduation. We hadn't talk to each other in the four years we had been stuck in that shitty school. But for some reason, we decided to talk to each other. Later, during the summer, we realized that we lived less than a block away from each other. We started talking more, exchanged numbers, and went over to each others' house. We'd been best friends ever since. Plus, James was friends with my other friend Carlos. Although I didn't talk to him as much, since he was also friends with Kendall…

_Ugh. Stop thinking about him,_ I scolded myself.

"Hello? Earth to Logan?" James snapped his fingers in front of my face. I blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, what's got you in such a pissy mood? Other than the fact that your enemy lives right next door to you." He said.

I frowned.

"That's it, really." I said. James looked like he wanted to laugh.

"Dude, seriously?_ That _is what's making you so mad?" I shrugged.

"Pretty much."

"Wow," He said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't let him get to you. Just ignore him."

I shifted.

"It's not that easy, James. I mean, we used to be friends-"

"He used you for sex, Logan. I don't see that as friendship." I sighed.

"We were friends before that." I said. James scoffed.

"Please. You guys only really got close after your little arrangement." He said.

I didn't respond.

James was sort of right. Kendall and I were friends before we started sleeping together. But we really only became _really_ close after. I still couldn't believe how naïve I had been. How had I missed it? How had I thought he loved me?

I sighed quietly.

"You're right." I admitted. James's face softened.

"Hey, it's okay. At least you're not friends with him anymore. You know who he really is." James said. I could tell he was trying to make me feel better, but it didn't exactly help.

"Yeah…" I trailed off.

James's phone buzzed. He quickly read the text before groaning.

"God damn it. I got to go. I hate work." He grumbled. I laughed.

"You still working at that day care?" I asked. James glared.

"I thought we established we wouldn't talk about that. I need money, man." He said. I put my hand on my chin, pretending to think.

"Established? Isn't that a bit advanced for your vocabulary?" I asked. James rolled his eyes and swatted at me playfully.

"Asshole. At least I have a job." He said. I pouted.

"I would have a job. I just need money for medical school." I said. James shook his head.

"I'm telling you Logan. You should have taken up your dad on his offer for the deli." He said. I glared.

"We've been through this-"

"You have bigger dreams than working at deli. I know, I know. I'm just looking out for you, man. You should get a job as soon as possible." James said.

I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'll look later today." James's face brightened up.

"Ooh, can I come?"

"No, you have work." I reminded him. James gave a dramatic sigh.

"Ugh."

I walked him to the door. We said our goodbyes before he headed out to this car. I closed the door after getting the newspaper that had been dropped on my porch.

I quickly scanned through it before landing on the back, where the newspaper listed jobs. The only thing I found that I figure I would give a chance was being a personal assistant for some guy. Interviews ended a week from now, which gave me plenty of time. I cut the ad out and set it on the table.

* * *

**One Week Later**

**Kendall's Point of View**

I frantically ran about my room, attempting to brush my hair, put my pants on, and tie my shoes at the same time. Today was the day when I would be interviewed for a job as a personal assistant, and I felt as if I already blew it. I had woken up later than I planned, which gave me a measly ten minutes to get to the office building before interviews would be over.

I managed to button my pants, tie my shoes, and brush my hair. I think I might have been a world record! Okay, maybe not. But my mom would be proud. I would be at the facility with two minutes to spare! Er, wait. She would actually strangle me. Never mind.

I rushed out of my house, hastily locking the door. I practically ran to my car. I took the backstreets, which were usually free of cops. No tickets for this guy! I arrived at the building rather quickly and ran in, giving the lady in the main office my name. She pointed me to a seat, where I sat down.

"Are you applying for the assistant job too?" I asked the boy sitting next to me. He looked up from the book he was reading. I couldn't stop the smile on my face if I tried.

"You got to be kidding me." I laughed.

"Why, hello Logan." I said, grinning. He glared at me before turning back to his book. I decided to leave him alone, sitting back in my chair.

"Logan Mitchell?" A man stepped out of the office, where a boy left out of. Logan stood up and approached the door. Another door opened, and a woman appeared.

"Kendall Knight?"

Hm. I guess they wanted to see as many people as possible. Logan and I headed to our respective offices. Before we entered, I turned to him with a smirk.

"Good luck." I said, teasingly. He glared at me before heading inside.

The interview wasn't that bad. There were simple questions, like my work habits and such. I was done quicker than I expected. I was about to leave when the woman at the front desk started calling for the woman that interviewed me. I stopped to hear what they were saying.

"Are we really going to hire _both _of them? We haven't even thought about it!" The secretary argued. The interviewer held her hands up defensively.

"I'm just relaying the message Mr. Stetson gave me. He said he wants to hire both boys." She said. The secretary shook her head.

"Alright." She turned to me, giving me half smile. "Well, looks like you got the job." I grinned.

There was a loud _thud_. I turned to my left, where Logan stood (wow…when did he get there?).The book he had been reading had fallen to the floor.

"We…both…got the job?" He asked, slowly. The secretary nodded.

"Yes. Congratulations." She said. Logan looked too stunned to speak.

"Thank you." I said for the both of us. Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched Logan turn an icy glare to me. Inwardly, I smirked.

_Well, this should be quite…interesting._


	4. An Unusual Circumstance

I was lost. Entirely.

I had been walking the same strip of sidewalk for about three hours. I had taken both side streets, only to end up right where I started. I was nowhere near my house, and I was definitely nowhere near the main road. I was extremely frustrated, and it didn't help that I had to be at work in exactly twenty minutes. I was pretty much ready to accept defeat and sit on the curb.

I shook my head and continued walking. No, I could do this. I _would_ find my way. Mentally cursing my car for deciding it didn't want to work, I trudged on. Suddenly, a spark of genius ignited in my brain.

I pulled out my phone and quickly navigated to the GPS app. Why hadn't I thought of this before? A crazy grin worked itself onto my face. I began to type in the address. When I was almost finished, my phone went black. I quickly pressed buttons. Nothing changed. I stared at it blankly before screaming.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Hey, there's kids around you know!" I whirled around and threw my hands up.

"Ah, you got to be fucking kidding me. Someone's playing a prank on me. My phone isn't dead and you aren't in front of me."

Kendall slid his hands into his pockets casually and smirked that infuriating smirk.

"Your phone is dead, and I am in front of you." He said. "You do realize that you're going the wrong way, right? Jett Stetson's office is that way." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. I narrowed my eyes.

"Then if it's that way, why are you going this way?"

"Well, people usually go to the source of the sound after someone screams 'motherfucker'. I heard you two blocks over." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever."

I stalked past him in the _right_ direction.I could hear his soft footsteps behind me. After a few moments of silence, he began to whistle a cheery tune. I forced my eyebrow to stop twitching and continued on.

We arrived at the building ten minutes late. I cursed my car (and Kendall) and hastily rushed inside. I gave a weak smile to the receptionist, who shook her head.

"Mr. Stetson doesn't appreciate tardiness." She said.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Logan was just freaking out about the new job. He gets nervous easily." Kendall said before I could respond. I glared at him, and he gave me a look that told me to shut it.

"Nice try. This counts as one strike." She scribbled something onto a small piece of paper. Then she pressed a button on her phone. "Your assistants are here, Mr. Stetson."

"Thank you, Gloria." I cringed when I heard his voice. He sounded like those people who always think they're better than everyone.

"What do you mean this is a strike?" Kendall asked. Gloria sighed.

"You have three chances. If you mess up, or you don't attend to Mr. Stetson's needs properly, you will be fired. And, since you both are assistants, you both share strikes. So if both of you mess up again, your time here will be finished." She gave us a condescending smile. "You boys better head up now. Wouldn't want another strike."

Kendall and I walked away from the desk and to the elevator at the end of the small hallway. There was only one another floor, so we rode the elevator to the second floor. The doors slid open, revealing a large, crowded space. People were everywhere, pressed together in small cubicles, getting sheets out of printers, sipping on paper cups of water or coffee.

I exited the elevator gingerly. I wasn't used to environments like this. The deli never got like this, even on the most crowded days. The noise was slowly but surely giving me a headache.

I approached one of the cubicles, where a fair skinned woman with long, dark curls sat typing on a computer. She looked up at me, her red lips curling into a lecherous smile. I shifted uncomfortably, while Kendall chuckled lowly.

"Hey there, hot stuff. Can I help you?" She leaned forward. I flushed and avoided looking at her.

"I just wanted to know where Mr. Stetson's office was." I said. The woman hummed.

"Ah, so you're here to see the big man, huh? His office is down the hall. Last door on the right." I nodded, quickly glancing at her. Her lusty smile widened.

"Okay, we really must be going now." Kendall pushed against my shoulder lightly. I quickly picked up on the hint and walked away.

"Wait, I didn't get your name!" I ignored the woman's calling and walked faster.

We arrived at the door. A name, Jett Stetson, was nailed onto the door on a golden plaque. I knocked on the door. After hearing a faint 'come in', I pushed onto the door handle and entered the room, Kendall right behind me.

"You must be Logan and Kendall." A man a little shorter than Kendall approached us. His brown hair was slicked back, and his brown eyes sparkling. His voice annoyed me as much as it had on the phone.

"That would be us." He shook my hand, and then he shook Kendall's.

"Nice to meet you. I'm sorry that I couldn't personally interview you. It's kind of hard to attend to such small matters when you're running the best magazine in the entire state." Jett laughed heartily. I didn't know whether to voice my offence or to laugh. I settled for a small, nervous laugh. Kendall followed my example.

"It's quite alright. We're sorry about being so late this morning. It won't happen again." I envied the way Kendall was able to always speak so fluently.

_Must be because he's such a good liar. You can't have your voice cracking when you're in the middle of ruining someone's life with fabricated stories you came up with,_ I thought bitterly.

"Don't worry about it. It's your first day. I'll talk Gloria into taking away that strike. Today will be like a free pass. But every day after his won't be so easy." Jett said. He gestured towards the seats.

Kendall and I both sat down, while Jett sat behind the desk.

"How old are you both?" He asked.

"Eighteen." We answered in unison. Jett's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? You're so young!"

"Yes, but we both live by ourselves. The bills won't pay themselves." Kendall said.

"Right. Well, either way, I'm glad you both decided to take the job. Because there is something I feel you need to know."

"Which is...?" Kendall trailed off.

"I really only need one assistant. I have decided that you will be that assistant, Kendall." I blinked. So if he only needed one assistant, did that mean I was fired? "And you, Logan, will have a much different purpose. You see, I am twenty five years old. My parents think it's time that I settled down with someone. I would choose a woman, but I feel like they wouldn't want to agree to a fake marriage, especially after they realize how much money I make. So I chose a man instead. When the whole thing is over, I could just drop them." He said.

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked, hesitantly. I already had an idea of where this was going.

"To everyone here, you will be one of my assistants. But to my family, you will be my fiance."

_Oh, God._


	5. Surprise, Surprise

I ran out of the office. It wasn't very professional, and I was sure that I would get a strike or whatever the hell it was, but I could care less. My new boss just told me that my job was to pretend to be his fiancé. If that didn't scream _awkward and weird_, I didn't know what did.

"What happened in there?" I looked up to see the creepy woman from before. I groaned and ran my hand through my hair, cringing when it came back sticky with hair gel.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, annoyed. She rolled her eyes.

"Look, I just wanted to see if you were okay. It's not every day someone storms out of Stetson's office like they're about to get murdered." She said snippily.

"Sorry. I guess I'm just pissed right now." I said. She shrugged.

"Eh, Jett has that effect on people. What'd he do? Make you go get him cups of coffee every hour?"

I bit my lip. Jett did say that everyone in the office wouldn't know about the whole fiancé thing. I assumed that meant he didn't want them to know. But, this girl seemed pretty nice. Even though she scared the shit out of me…

"No. He told me I have to pretend to be his fiancé." I told her. Something flashed in her eyes, but as quickly as it came it was gone. She flipped her dark curls over her shoulder.

"That's worse than I thought. Are you still going to do it?" She asked.

"I don't really have a choice. I just moved in to my new house, and I have no job." I answered.

"Hm. Well, welcome. I'm Camille." She held her hand out to me. I clasped it in my own. Well, my clean hand.

"Logan."

She tilted her head as she studied me.

"Are you gay?"

I instantly blushed.

"You've known me for less than ten minutes and you're asking my sexual preference?" I exclaimed. Camille rolled her eyes.

"You're pretending to be Jett's fiancé. Jett is a man." I rolled my eyes this time.

"Well obviously he's a man. But yes, I am gay."

She muttered something under her breath about all the cute guys being gay. I smiled slightly. Suddenly, someone's hand clasped my shoulder.

"Jett wants to see you." I turned slightly to see Kendall. I nodded and tried to casually brush his hand off my shoulder.

"Okay." I said.

"I got to go pick up some paperwork. Do you think you'll be able to get home without getting lost?" He asked me. I glared at him.

"Yes." I hissed. Kendall smirked before walking away. Camille's eyes followed him as he walked by.

"Mind telling me who that fine piece of ass is?" Camille asked, licking her lips.

"Just ten minutes ago, you were drooling over me. And now you want him?" I asked incredulously. Camille rolled her eyes, something I figured she liked doing.

"Sorry. Besides, you're gay. Oh god, is he gay too?" I laughed.

"No, he's bi." Camille shrugged.

"Well, at least I still have a chance. What's his type?" She asked. I scowled.

"How should I know?" I asked.

"I don't know. You guys seem pretty close." I laughed harshly.

"Yeah, okay." I said. Camille narrowed her eyes.

"Well sorry for misunderstanding. Do you have problems with him or something?" She asked.

"No." I said irritably. "I have to go." I walked back to Jett's office.

I knew I was overreacting. Camille had no idea what had happened between Kendall and me. But still, thinking about it made me angry. And when she asked me about his preference, I was reminded of that girl I had seen him kissing.

I could tell myself I was over him all I wanted, but I knew I wasn't. That's why I kept thinking of him, and how we used to be, and it's why I get so flustered around him.

I opened the door to Jett's office. He stood up from his desk as soon as I entered.

"Sorry for running out like that. I just got overwhelmed, I guess." I apologized. Jett smiled.

"It's alright, Logan. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing." He looked me over carefully. "If it makes you that uncomfortable, you don't have to do it, you know."

I nodded.

"I know. But I want to do it." I smiled, hoping it would somehow convey how much I wanted to do it.

Jett shrugged.

"Well, alright then. My parents are coming to town in about two weeks. I figured we could practice acting natural around each other until they arrive." He said.

"Sounds good."

I was free to go after that. I walked through the hallway, purposely avoiding Camille's gaze. I could feel her eyes boring holes throughout the side of my body.

I was surprised I accepted the job. I wasn't exactly fond of putting myself in weird situations. I figured that it had to do with money, but somehow I knew that wasn't it.

I shook my head.

It doesn't matter. I have a job. That's what I wanted, and that's what I got.

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

_His fiancé? What the fuck?_

I kept thinking that as I drove to the address Jett had given me. Although she came off as a total bitch, Gloria was nice enough to let me use her car.

I had to go pick up a printout of an article one of Jett's employees had written for him. I ran my fingers through my hair. The guy was a piece of work. He hired someone just assuming he would want to be his fake fiancé. How did he know Logan would do it?

I secretly hoped Logan wouldn't take the job. It would be awkward seeing him every day at work. It's already bad enough that we live right next to each other. And what Jett was asking was ridiculous. If I were in Logan's position, I would _not_ take the job.

I arrived at the complex and parked the car. I entered the building, following the directions Jett and written down for me until I was at the apartment. I tapped my foot impatiently.

_Where the hell is this person?_

Finally, the door swung open. My jaw dropped.

"J-Jo?"


	6. You're An Ass

"Kendall!" Her eyes were wide. She brushed some hair behind her ear. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up the article." I said slowly. She tilted her head to the side.

"You work for Jett?"

"Yep. I'm assuming you do too." She nodded slowly.

Jo was my ex-girlfriend from high school. She was also the girl Logan saw me kissing, which as you know led to our fight. I didn't hate Jo or anything like that. She's a cool girl. What happened between me and Logan was entirely my fault (well, maybe a little bit of Logan's because honestly, he really, _really_ overreacted).

As I was saying, I didn't hold Jo responsible for anything. I stopped talking to her because I never kept in contact with my ex's. Except for Logan. But we were never really in a relationship, so I don't think that counts.

"I have the article." She said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded.

"Alright, I'll wait out here." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stupid. Have a seat in the living room." I was a little uncomfortable doing that, but I sucked it up and went inside. I awkwardly sat on the couch and waited for Jo.

After a few minutes, she exited a room from the back of her apartment. I could see a stack of papers in her hands. She walked towards me, chewing her lip. I sighed.

"Alright, what's up?" I asked. I didn't really care, but I could tell she wanted to say something.

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head and giving me a smile. She handed me the papers. "Here. I edited most of them, but there might be some things I missed."

I nodded, and she looked at me. I smirked.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." I said. Jo sighed and sat down next to me.

"I've been meaning to talk to you for a while. But I could never call you. I was scared, I guess." I had a vague idea of where this conversation was going, but I allowed her to keep talking. She took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm still in love with you. And...I just want to know why we didn't work out. I had an idea, but we never talked about it."

I groaned. This was the exact conversation I was trying to avoid.

"Do we have to?" I asked. It occurred to me that I sounded like a little kid, but I could really care less.

"I think after two years I deserve an explanation." She said. I narrowed my eyes. Damn her for having a good point.

"You said you had an idea. What was your idea?"

"I always thought it had to do with Logan." Jo said hesitantly. I smiled bitterly.

"And that would be correct."

"Were you in love with-"

"No." I quickly cut her off. Jo narrowed her eyes.

"I deserve my explanation." She reminded me. I growled.

"My explanation doesn't have to include my feelings towards Logan. All you have to know is that I broke up with you because I hurt him. I was trying to save my relationship with him. That's all it was." I said, standing up. She stood up too.

"Look, Kendall. I'm sorry for bringing it up. If I had known Logan was such a touchy subject for you, I wouldn't have said anything. And...I'm sorry that you being with me damaged your relationship with him." Jo said. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

"It's not your fault. It's mine, really. Don't worry about it." I said. She chewed her lip.

"I have another question." I knew what this one would be.

"Go ahead."

"Do you think we would ever, you know, get back together?" Jo asked. She had a hopeful look on her face.

"I don't know." I said honestly. The whole reason we hadn't worked out was because of Logan. But with Logan gone...

Jo smiled.

I walked to the door.

"Thank you, Kendall." She said. I nodded and began to walk away.

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

"No, not like that." I flushed as Jett grabbed my arms and forced them to wrap around his neck. "This looks more natural."

"Yeah." I retracted my arms, and he sighed.

After I left from his office, I was intending to go home. But then Jett caught up with me and suggested that we go to his house to work on our "relationship". Although, _mansion_ would be a far more appropriate word. We were currently in his home office. No one besides himself went in there, so we would be free to practice.

"Logan, we need to do this."

"I know. I...I just have to get used to it, okay?" I flashed him a bright smile. He sighed again before sitting on the edge of his desk.

"It has to do with Kendall, doesn't it?" He asked. I blinked at him, confused.

"Huh?"

"You're telling me you didn't notice? He's totally jealous." I laughed.

"Yeah, okay." Then, I realized what Jett was getting at. "Whoa, whoa. We aren't dating." I added. He smirked and sipped out of his coffee cup.

"Oh?"

"We really aren't." I sounded kind of desperate, but I really didn't care._  
_

"Sure. I believe you." He stood up and sauntered towards me. Instinctively, I stepped back a little. "So me doing this is okay, right?" He asked, leaning down until his lips were barely brushing against my own. I swallowed hard.

"I have the article." I instantly jumped away from Jett, looking at the doorway with wide eyes. Kendall avoided my gaze.

"Kendall...what are you doing here?" Jett sounded as surprised as I felt.

"Gloria told me that you had left for the day and that your office would be locked. She drove me here. Jo wanted me to discuss the changes with you, but I can see that you're busy." He said, finally looking at me. I blushed and looked away.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Kendall gave him a short nod before turning towards me.

"Do you need a ride home?" He asked.

"Uh..." I turned to Jett.

"You can go if you want. I think we're done for the day." He said. I nodded and turned to Kendall.

"Yeah." I said. He didn't respond. He just looked at me before giving a tiny shrug and walking out of the room. I sighed and went to follow him.

"What did I say? Totally jealous." Jett muttered from behind me. I gave him the dirtiest glare I could before rushing to catch up with Kendall.

I was seriously dreading the car ride. It would be uncomfortable. But Gloria would be there. I wasn't sure that made it better, but I knew Kendall wouldn't start anything if she was there.

I finally caught up to Kendall after a while. When we got to the front door, he paused.

"I hope you know what you're doing." He said. I raised my eyebrows.

"What?"

"Come on Logan. It's not like you're a great actor. I'd be surprised if his parents believed you two were together." He said. I felt my face grow hot.

"Shut up. I'll do fine." I hissed. He snorted.

"Sure you will." I glared at him.

"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to be an ass." I said. Kendall laughed harshly.

"Jealous of what? Some fake romance?"

"Says the guy who's hooked up with tons of girls and told them he loved them when he really didn't." I don't know why I said it, but I did. Kendall narrowed his eyes.

"At least none of them were a clingy bitch like you."

That did it. I punched him as hard as I could. His head swung back, his face red with anger.

"Fuck you Kendall." I snapped, storming out to the car. I sat in the backseat, ignoring Gloria's surprised expression. Kendall finally got to the car a few minutes later, wiping blood from his nose. He sat up front next to Gloria. I inwardly smirked.

"What happened in there?" Gloria asked, looking between us.

"Nothing." Kendall said quickly. He looked at me in the rear view mirror, and I flipped him off. Gloria blinked in surprise.

"I don't think I want to know."

"You don't." I said darkly. She shook her head before putting the car in gear.


	7. Be Careful

"So Carlos called me the other day and we decided to hang out-"

"No."

"You didn't let me finish-"

"No."

"Hey come on this could help you get your mind off of Ken-"

"No!"

James rolled his eyes.

"Look, Kendall was just being a dick."

"No shit." I said, irritated.

"But that doesn't mean you should sit around feeling like shit and saying how much you hate his guts. He said what he did to get a reaction out of you. Stop giving him what he wants."

I frowned. I was beginning to regret ever telling James what had happened. If I hadn't, he wouldn't have driven over here to pester me about going out with him and Carlos tonight.

"I have to go to work." I said, grabbing my breakfast bowl and placing in the sink. I cringed in disgust. Note to self: do dishes after work.

"Just…think about it, okay? It'll be fun. Plus it's Friday, so you don't have to worry about work tomorrow."

I bit my lip.

"Okay." I finally said. James gave a little grin.

"Alright. Do you want me to drive you to work?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Another note to self: get car checked out.

I got into James' black Nissan Altima and buckled myself in. He checked both sides of the street before pulling out of the driveway. I saw Kendall pulling out of his driveway as well, and I forced myself to look away.

"So how do I get to your workplace?" James asked. I gave him the directions. He raised an eyebrow when he pulled in front of the building.

"You work for a magazine?" He asked. "I didn't know you were an editor." He added. Then he chuckled. "It's fitting. Since you're a grammar Nazi and all."

I rolled my eyes and got out of the car. I smirked.

"At least I don't work at a day care." I said, and slammed the door shut. I could hear James yelling angrily from inside the car. I laughed and walked away, hearing James pulling away from the curb.

I went to front desk and signed in. I noticed Gloria was intently looking outside. I raised my eyebrows.

"See something you like?"

"Yeah, a handsome man driving a Nissan Altima." She said, looking pointedly at me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not setting you up with him."

"Why not?" I smirked.

"Let's just say he doesn't go for cranky secretaries." I said. Gloria began to glare at me, but then she too began to smirk.

"It's not you first day anymore. I can easily give you a strike."

"Then I'd call bullshit and tell Jett."

"Ah! No foul language in the workplace. You just broke a rule." She said, still smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"Goodbye, Gloria."

"Bye!" She called cheerfully. Then I heard her groan. "Oh, hey Blondie."

"…Blondie?"

I turned slightly, seeing Kendall give Gloria an amused look. I shook my head and walked to the elevator, angrily jamming the button a few times.

"You do realize doing that doesn't make it move faster, right?" I jumped and turned to see Jett grinning at me.

"Oh, yeah. Wait, aren't you a bit late?" I asked.

"Yeah, my parents called this morning and I didn't realize how late it was." He said. I nodded. The elevator finally arrived. I felt like someone was behind me. I slightly turned my face; my theory was confirmed when I saw Kendall. His eyes landed on me, and he stopped walking.

Jett and I entered the elevator. I went to press the button for the second floor, but Jett put his hand on my arm.

"Hey, Kendall! You going up?" He asked. Kendall looked over at him.

"Uh, I was going to take the stairs-" He cut himself off, looking at me. Then, he smirked. "Actually, never mind."

My eyes widened. Jett pressed the button to keep the doors open. Kendall boarded the elevator and pressed the second floor button, his arm brushing against mine as he did. I pulled my arm to my side and gritted my teeth.

Kendall and Jett began discussing the article Kendall had picked up, but I didn't pay any attention. I tried to keep myself in check, even though all I wanted to do was punch Kendall again and tell him how much of an asshole he was.

_"He said what he did to get a reaction out of you. Stop giving him what he wants."_

I forced myself to relax, unclenching my hand that had been in a fist. Slowly, my body became less stiff. The elevator doors finally slid open. We all stepped out, Kendall and Jett still in conversation. I followed slowly behind.

"Oh, yes. Logan?" I raised my head to look at Jett.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any plans for lunch?" He asked. I shook my head. Jett grinned. "Great. There's something I need to discuss with you. I'll come get you. For now can you go supervise everyone else? I need to look over this article."

I nodded, my eyes sliding over to Kendall. His jaw was clenched, and he glared at the back of Jett's head. His eyes met mine, and I swallowed roughly when I saw how pissed off he looked. But when Jett turned around again, his expression went back to normal.

Maybe he was jealous.

I shook my head. No, he was just pissed off that I punched him. He has a habit of holding grudges. Probably still does.

I sighed and headed to a random cubicle. Time to supervise, I guess.

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

"So, what were the changes Jo made?" Jett asked once we were in his office. I unclenched my jaw and told him the changes. When I finished, he raised one eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head.

"You're jealous." I felt my face heat up slightly.

"Of what?" Jett smirked.

"You know. Me and Logan."

"Why would I be jealous? You two aren't even really engaged."

"But we could be." He said. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm just saying. You must have really screwed up for Logan to hate you as much as he does. He's too good for you, Kendall. He needs a nice guy. One that will never hurt him. One…like me."

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I stood up from my chair, slamming my hands onto the desk.

"Back off." I growled. Jett laughed.

"Why? Because he's "yours"? Because I have a chance and you _don't_?"

"Logan isn't attracted to you." I snarled. Jett chuckled.

"Just because you're in love with Logan doesn't mean that you know how he thinks. He _is_ attracted to me. That's why he almost let me kiss him. I'll be good for him." Jett said, standing as well.

I backed away from the desk slightly.

"He hates your guts, Kendall. You messed up. He doesn't want you now. While our relationship may be fake now, I have no doubt that it'll become real soon. I deserve Logan. You don't." He continued.

His words sliced me like knives. I stared at the ground.

"I'm not in love with him." I said. Jett smirked.

"Of course not." He said, his tone condescending. "Go give this to Camille. Then take the rest of the day off. I don't need you for anything else. You're just going to…_get in the way_."

My hand clenched into a fist.

"I may not be in love with Logan," I began slowly. I looked up at him, making my voice as firm as I could. "But that doesn't mean I'll let you have him."

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

"Logan! I was wondering when you would get to me." Camille said, grinning at me. I smiled.

"Well obviously. You've been deprived of me for so long." I said. She sighed dramatically.

"Oh, yes! I thought I was going to die!" She exclaimed. I laughed. She gestured to the empty space on her desk, so I leaned against it. "What's going on with you?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Nothing much." I said. Camille rolled her eyes.

"Bull. Spill."

I sighed.

"Kendall and I got in a fight. And, now we hate each other more than usual." I said. I could tell Camille wanted to ask what the fight was about, but she didn't. I was secretly pleased.

"Hm. I would tell you to talk to him, but I don't think that's such a good idea." She said. I laughed.

"Yeah, it's not. Besides, he's acting really weird."

"You mean really jealous." I flinched, but tried to hide it.

"I don't think he's jealous." I said, causing Camille to roll her eyes once again. I was tempted to tell her that if she kept doing that her eyes would get stuck like that, but I chose not to.

"You're so blind, Logan. He's jealous. And totally into you." She said. I looked at the ground.

"I..." I didn't know what to say. Kendall had no reason to be jealous. We weren't together. I didn't really _want_ to be with him. Even though I was a teeny bit still attracted to him.

"You don't want to be with him, though." Camille said. I looked up at her quickly.

"Are you a mind reader?" I asked. Camille laughed.

"No, you just voice your thoughts out loud." I felt myself blush.

"Oh."

"What happened between you two?" She asked curiously. My blush faded.

"I'm not really comfortable talking about it." I said quietly. Camille furrowed her eyebrows slightly before shaking her head gently.

"Alright. If you ever want to talk, I'm here." She said, smiling. I chewed my lip and got off the desk, forcing myself to smile.

"Thanks."

**Two Hours Later**

Jett and I walked in silence to a small sandwich shop not far from where we worked. We both ordered our respective sandwiches and sat at one of the tables.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Remember this morning how I said my parents called?" He asked. I blinked.

"Yeah…"

"They're not coming in two weeks." For a second, I felt relieved. Jett and I still had yet to perfect acting like a couple. "They're coming on Sunday."

I choked on the water I had been drinking. Once I could breathe again, I looked at Jett.

"Please tell me you're not serious." I said. Jett shook his head.

"I wish I could." I groaned.

"That gives us only two days!" I said.

"I know. Which means we have to speed things up a bit." I was about to ask what, but his lips were suddenly pressed against mine. I made a surprised noise, raising my hands and pushing him away.

"What the hell?" I asked. Jett gave me a tiny smirk.

"We have to speed things up, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"How about this: we'll practice for most of tomorrow. Would that help?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah." I said.

I wasn't sure it would.

* * *

When I got home, I decided to go out with James and Carlos. I was stressing out about Jett's parents coming, and I really needed to get my mind off of things.

James picked me up around nine, and he and Carlos chatted excitedly in the front seat. My eyes widened when I saw it.

"That's a…" James grinned.

"Rink. It's been a while since we've played hockey together." I shook my head.

A little while after high school ended, James, Carlos, and I used to go to the rink and play hockey. It never really got serious; we usually just to fool around. And to shove each other into the boards.

"But we don't have gear." I said. Carlos laughed and went around to the back of James's car. I followed after him.

"Yes we do!" He said. He pulled three hockey sticks and a duffle bag out of the trunk.

"Wow." I said. Carlos laughed again, and we all headed to the rink.

After signing some sheets and paying, we were let in. The man at the desk stopped us before we could begin walking.

"I suggest you boys be careful. There's another kid in there, and he seems pretty pissed."

I blinked at the man.

"Uh, thanks." I said awkwardly. He nodded and went back to the book he had been reading.

When we entered, I saw the angry guy we had been warned about. He raised his stick and hit the row of pucks in front of him with a force made them slide across the ice in seconds before slamming into the net or the boards.

I wonder what pissed him off.

I shrugged it off and followed James and Carlos into the locker room. We changed into our gear and headed back onto the ice. It seemed the guy was finished, since he was skating away. He looked at us for a while before going into the stands and taking his helmet off.

My eyes widened as they landed on him.

It was Kendall.

I looked away quickly. There were many guys with blonde hair and green eyes. It wasn't him. I looked at him again, groaning when I realized that it was indeed Kendall.

"Hey, you okay?" I turned to James, who had skated up to me.

Wordlessly, I pointed towards the stands. James's eyes widened too. Then, his face hardened in anger.

"Great. I have a few words I have to say to him." He growled.

"James, don't!" I grabbed onto his arm, but he quickly shook me off. I sent a desperate look to Carlos, but found that he was already following James.

"Hey, asshole! The fuck is your problem?" James shouted, now in the stands. He had taken his skates off and was holding them in his hands.

Kendall stood up.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"My problem is _you_." James hissed. Kendall looked past him to me before snorting sarcastically.

"What did I do to you?" He asked. James growled.

"You're a fucking piece of shit. What the hell did he do for you to treat him like you do? Huh?" James demanded. Kendall looked at him blankly.

"So you know."

"Of course I know, damn it! You ruined him, asshole! And you never apologized!"

"James! Relax!" Carlos wrapped his arms around James, pulling him away from Kendall. James began thrashing violently, desperate to get out of Carlos grip.

"No! I'm going to hurt him like he hurt Logan!" James screeched. He broke free from Carlos and held his fist up. My eyes widened in horror.

"Stop it!" I screamed. I ran to James and stood in front of him. He opened his mouth to protest, but I glared at him. "No. I…I want to talk to him. Alone." I added.

Carlos gently tugged on James's arm.

"Come on, let's go get changed." He said quietly. James reluctantly followed him.

Once they were gone, I turned to Kendall. He looked back at me in surprise.

"You stopped him. I thought you would have wanted him to hit me." He said. I swallowed.

"I don't like seeing people get hurt." I said. A tense silence fell between us.

"Hey, Logan?" I looked at him, but he stared hard at the ground.

"Yes?"

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked. I chewed my lip.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly. Kendall finally looked up at me, an emotion I couldn't quite place in his eyes.

"Be careful around Jett."

I stared at him, wondering what he meant. I tried to ask, but he was already walking away. I stood in the stands, watching his retreating figure.

_"Be careful around Jett_._"_

What was that supposed to mean?


	8. Talk

On Saturday, James got his dad to come over to check my car out. James's dad was a mechanic, and a really good one at that. I thanked him profusely, but he only laughed and said that it wasn't a big deal. While he worked on the car, James and I headed inside to the living room. He turned on the T.V., and I held my cell phone in my hands.

Any minute now, Jett was going to call. My stomach was twisted into a knot. Ever since he had kissed me, I felt this weird sensation in my gut whenever I thought about him, especially after Kendall had told me to be careful around him. I got the feeling that something happened between them, and I was curious as to what it was. But Kendall and I weren't exactly on speaking terms, and I didn't feel comfortable asking Jett. I sighed and chewed my lip.

"What did you guys talk about?" James asked. I blinked and looked at him.

"Huh?" James rolled his eyes.

"You and Kendall. What happened?" He asked, his voice on the verge of sounding demanding.

"Uh, nothing." I said. If I told James what Kendall had said, I would have to also tell him what I _really_ did for Jett. I didn't know how James would react to that, and I wasn't sure I wanted to either. I was perfectly fine with making him think I was an editor.

"Bullshit. He said something, didn't he?" James said, narrowing his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably, wishing Jett would hurry up and call.

"He didn't say anything."

"Liar. When Carlos and I came back you looked confused."

"Why do you care what he said anyway?" I snapped. James looked taken aback, but then his expression hardened.

"I don't want you to get involved with him again, Logan. People like him…they're users. You don't have to put up with his bullshit."

I almost pointed out that I was technically being used by Jett, but I didn't. After all, I had agreed to become his "fiancé". James would probably think I was trying to defend Kendall or something. I didn't need him being any more pissed off at me than he was.

"I'm not a naïve sixteen year old anymore. I can tell when I'm being used." I said icily. James shook his head.

"Just be careful around Kendall." I flinched as my brain registered the words.

_"Be careful around Jett."_

"Y-Yeah." I said distractedly. James gave me a critical look, but I ignored it and focused my gaze on the phone vibrating in my palm. I quietly excused myself and stepped out into the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Hey Logan. Are you ready?" It was Jett. My stomach twisted again.

"Yeah. But my car is kind of getting fixed right now. Can you come pick me up?"

"Of course. What's your address?" I told him my address. "Alright, I'll be there in a few."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem." I hung up after that, clutching my phone tight in my hands. I really needed to calm down. I headed into the kitchen, ignoring James's footsteps behind me. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water before taking a few sips.

"Who was that?" James demanded. I rolled my eyes. Somehow, he turned from relaxed best friend to overprotective, annoying best friend.

"My boss." I said.

"Why's he calling you?"

"I need to go in to work."

"I'll drive you."

"He's picking me up."

James looked at me with narrowed eyes. I groaned and set my glass down.

"You're being annoying, James. My boss is not Kendall. He just wants to go over something with me." I said. James crossed his arms.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

"And I appreciate that. But just…back off a little, okay? I'm fine James."

"I…it's just that, Kendall's always around you. And I hate that we weren't friends when he did what he did for you. I guess I'm trying to make up for it."

"It wasn't your fault. I was being naïve. I didn't see him for who he was. But it's okay now. Kendall…he's not a part of my life."

James relaxed.

"Sorry about all that. I didn't mean to get so overprotective." He apologized. I shrugged, smiling.

"It's okay. It kind of feels good to know I have a readily available bodyguard at any moment." I joked. James chuckled. We heard footsteps, and watched as Mr. Diamond came into view.

"Your car is fixed, and some guy is here to see you." He said. I grinned.

"Awesome. How much do I owe you?" I asked, fishing my wallet out of my back pocket. Mr. Diamond waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, don't worry about it." He said. I opened my mouth to protest, but Mr. Diamond cut me off. "It's fine."

Reluctantly, I put my wallet back into my pocket.

"Do you think you can hang out with me and Carlos later?" James asked as we walked to the door. I chewed my lip.

"I don't know, it depends. I'll see." I said. He nodded, and I said goodbye as he and his dad went to their car. I locked the door and headed to Jett's car, sitting in the passenger seat and buckling up.

"Should I be jealous?" He asked. I laughed.

"No, James is just a friend. His dad was fixing my car." I said. Jett nodded and pulled away from the curb.

The uncomfortable feeling in my gut was back. I could feel my whole body tense up. Jett would occasionally look at me from the driver's seat, but I kept my eyes forward. When we arrived at his house, he parked his car in the garage. Neither one of us moved.

"Is everything okay?" He asked me. I looked at him.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I lied. In reality, it was _not_ okay. I kept thinking about Kendall's warning. Obviously, he knew something about Jett I didn't. But what was it? And how did I know Kendall wasn't making it up?

I wanted to believe Jett wasn't planning anything, but I didn't exactly know him that well. But, at the same time, I didn't exactly know Kendall that well either. I had no idea who I should trust.

"Something tells me you're lying." Jett said, breaking my train of thought. I felt my stomach clench. He rested his hand on my thigh, and my body stiffened. I ignored the warmth of his hand and opened the door.

"We should get started. We don't have a lot of time left." I said, getting out of the car.

I could tell Jett wanted to argue, but he didn't say anything else. We headed inside, and I began to walk to his home office. But Jett grabbed my arm and led me to another room. I began to panic when I realized it was his bedroom.

He chuckled.

"Relax. I'm not going to do anything. I just figured this would be a more comfortable room to practice in." He said. I nodded slowly, forcing myself to calm down and ignore the fact that he had closed the door.

I stood awkwardly by the door, and he gently grabbed my arm and tugged me towards him. He wrapped his arms around me, and I forced my arms to wrap around his torso. My nose was inches from his neck. He smelled like Irish Spring.

After a few minutes, he pulled away and gave me an approving look.

"Hm, you've improved. Your arms are a little stiff though. You need to be a little more relaxed, but other than that you're good."

I expected him to do something else, but he never did. He sat down on the bed, and patted the spot next to him. I hesitantly sat down.

"What should I expect tomorrow?" I asked.

"My parents are pretty laid back. At this point, I don't think they really care who I marry. They've been waiting for so long." He laughed.

"Or who you don't marry." I corrected under my breath. I could feel Jett looking at me, but I ignored it.

"They're pretty nice. I think you'll like them, and I think they'll like you." Jett added coolly. I nodded. I heard him sigh quietly. "Did I do something?"

I looked at him.

"What?"

"You just seem a little off. Did I do something?" He asked again. I shook my head.

"No, no. I'm fine. A little tired I guess. I was playing ice hockey last night with my friends."

In truth, we hadn't gotten to play. After our run in with Kendall, we got changed and James rented some movies for us to watch. We ordered a pizza and slept in Carlos's living room. But I didn't want Jett to know about the incident with Kendall, so I simply told him what we had been intending on doing.

Jett gave me an impressed look.

"Ice hockey, huh? You skate?" He asked. I shrugged.

"On occasion. The last time I played was after school ended." I said. Jett shook his head and chuckled.

"I forgot that you're only eighteen. It's hard to think that I'm seven years older than you." He said.

"I didn't even think of that." I mumbled. Jett chuckled again.

"See? It tends to slip the mind. You're not immature. Before I hired you, I expected you to be some bratty kid who thought he was too good for anything. But you're nothing like that."

"Glad to see I proved you wrong." I smirked. He smiled.

"Logan, there's something I need to tell you." He said, his smile fading. I had never heard him speak so seriously. I shifted awkwardly.

"What is it?" I asked after a moment of hesitation. I had no idea what he wanted to say.

"Well…you're a spectacular person, Logan. I'm really glad you decided to help me. When I set up this agreement between us, I told myself that it would be strictly professional. I would treat you like I treated all my other employees. But I can't do that. Because you're special to me. I…I guess what I'm getting at is that I really like you. And I know it's wrong, considering how I'm your boss. And I'm aware that you probably won't return my feelings. I just wanted you to know."

I stared at him for a while before looking away. Jett liked me? I didn't know how I felt. Jett was an attractive guy. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel something for him that wasn't exactly friendship. But I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue anything with him. I was still struggling to get over what happened with Kendall. How did I know Jett wasn't exactly like him?

_He's not_, I though. And, when I thought about it, it was true. Kendall and Jett were complete opposites. Even though I was kind of wary of him, I did trust Jett. More…more than I trusted Kendall when we were friends.

"I'm glad you told me. I guess it is kind of wrong. But you can't help who you like, right? And…I'm not sure if I like you the same way you like me. But, I do feel something for you. More than friendship, I mean." I said.

Jett gave me a hopeful look. I smiled softly at him.

"When you figure it out…will you tell me?" He asked. I nodded.

"Of course."

He chewed his lip before leaning slightly towards me. My heart began to beat faster. Jett leaned a little closer. His lips were getting closer to mine. I could feel his bottom lip brushing against mine. I leaned forward and pressed our lips together firmly. He made a satisfied noise in the back of his throat. I squeezed my eyes shut. As soon as I did, an image of Kendall popped into my head. I could hear his warning again. I jumped and pulled away quickly. Jett gave me a worried look.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing." I gave him a tight smile. "I think I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm going to go now. I have to meet up with someone." I said. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either.

"Oh, okay." I didn't miss the disappointed tone in Jett's voice.

We walked downstairs and outside to the garage. The car ride seemed to be extremely long. My leg bobbed up and down impatiently. When we arrived at my house, I said a hasty goodbye before getting out of the car. I waited until he was gone until I moved. As I got closer and closer to the house, I felt my stomach clench tighter and tighter. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

After a few agonizingly long minutes, the door eased open.

"Logan?" Kendall asked, giving me a confused look. I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"We need to talk."


	9. The Truth

"Logan, I'm not sure this is a good idea." Kendall said. I swallowed roughly.

"Look, I just need to ask you something. I'm not here to fight with you. I just want to talk." Kendall looked at me, and I thought he would let me talk. But then he just shook his head.

"We can never just talk. We always end up fighting. I can't do this right now." He began to close the door.

"Kendall, please. I...I just need some answers." I said. The door stopped, and he turned around with a smirk on his face.

"The smart one needs answers now, huh?" He asked. Although I didn't want to, a faint smile tugged at the edges of my lips. When we were friends, Kendall would always call me the smart one of our little duo. Normally, I would be the one giving him answers, so I could see how our roles being reversed could be funny to him.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I said. I watched Kendall carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. But he just opened the door again and walked inside. I followed after him, shutting the door softly behind me.

I followed him to the living room, where there was only one couch. I sat down next to him hesitantly, not trying to make it obvious that I was trying to put as much space as possible between us.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, throwing his arms on the back of the couch. The tips of his fingers brushed against my shoulder, and for some reason I felt goosebumps break out across my arm. I placed a hand over my arm and faced him.

"What did you mean when you said to be careful around Jett?" I asked. Kendall's body stiffened, but then he relaxed again and shrugged.

"I meant exactly what I said; be careful around him." He replied easily. I groaned under my breath.

"Elaborate, Kendall. Why do I need to be careful around him?" I said, trying to stop my frustration from becoming apparent in my voice.

Kendall closed his eyes and sighed.

"Because Logan," He said, stressing my name. "He's going to hurt you. I can feel it."

"Why do you care?" The question escaped my mouth before I realized what I was saying. Kendall's eyes flew open, and for a second he looked shocked. But then he regained his composure, and the same cool expression was in his eyes.

"I don't." He looked at me.

I stared at him for a while before snorting.

"Liar." I said simply, standing up. Kendall stood up too, staring down at me.

"What?" He asked. I smirked.

"You say you don't care," I began casually. "But yet you're here warning me about Jett. Maybe I want him to hurt me."

"You don't. I fucked with you in high school and look where that got us. I'm pretty sure you don't want history to repeat itself." He said calmly, but his eyes were filled with anger. I winced, but tried to not make it obvious. Kendall sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "God Logan, this is what I was talking about. We're fighting again."

"We're not."

"We are."

I looked away from him, crossing my arms.

"Whatever. I'll be careful around him." I said, brushing past him and heading towards the door. Just when I was about to turn the knob, his voice stopped me.

"Wait, Logan. I was serious when I told you he's going to hurt you. He may seem all nice or whatever, but he's just going to ruin you."

I shook my head, allowing myself to laugh bitterly.

"Sounds kind of funny coming from the guy who was the exact same way."

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

The door slammed shut, and I stared at it blankly. I blinked, tearing my eyes away and heading back to the couch where I flopped down and groaned into the cushions.

All I ever managed to do was piss Logan off. I guess it makes sense, since he hates me. And maybe I even hated him...at one point. After I talked with Jett, I didn't feel the urge to annoy him or make him upset. There was this weird feeling instead. I couldn't even describe how it felt. All I knew was that it only happened when I was with Logan.

I chewed my lip absently, sitting up on the couch.

What if Jett makes a move on Logan? And what if Logan accepts his advances? What would I do then?

I shook my head quickly. No, Logan was smart enough to realize that Jett would just be dating him to get me angry. He didn't love Logan. Hell, I doubt he even liked Logan as much as he made me think he did yesterday.

I clenched my hand into a fist.

I don't know how I felt about Logan, but I really don't care. I needed to protect him. Jett was going to hurt him, maybe even more than _I_ had hurt Logan. I wasn't going to stand by and watch it happen. The only way Jett could hurt Logan was if Logan and him were to get together. But what if Logan had an interest in someone else?

With that in mind, I began to formulate my plan.

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

Why did Kendall have to be so damn complicated? He said he didn't care if Jett hurt me, but it was more than obvious that he did. And besides, what makes him think Jett would hurt me? He's never done anything to either one of us (or anyone for that matter) that should make him think that he was out to hurt me.

But even though I doubted Jett would hurt me, I couldn't help but wonder if Kendall's hunch was right. How could I protect myself? Would I be able to realize _when_ Jett was going to "ruin me"?

The whole thing was confusing, and it made my head hurt. In addition to the whole Kendall thing, I had less than a day until I would have to meet with Jett's parents. I was only hired so that I could pretend to be his fiancé. What would I do after meeting with his parents? I couldn't afford to not have a job. There was no way in hell I would ask my parents for money.

I needed to talk to someone.

I could vent to James, but he would probably get pissed off at me. I had told him that Kendall wasn't a part of my life, but James wouldn't think so when I told him I had gone to Kendall for help. I could have lied about it, but I was terrible liar and James would see right through it. I sighed and leaned back on my bed, quickly crossing James out of my mental list.

There was Carlos; he was a good listener, but we weren't that close. And there was the chance of him telling James, which was _not_ a risk I was willing to take. I groaned and crossed his name off too.

_Well, there's Camille_.

I sat up quickly. Wait, wait.

Camille…that could work. She knew about me and Jett, and she knew that Kendall and I didn't exactly have the greatest relationship. She was good at listening, and there was no way for her to say anything to James.

I began to get off my bed, but then a thought hit me.

I had no way to contact Camille. I didn't own a phonebook and my internet still was not set up.

I would have to ask Jett for her number. The thought of calling him made me a little uncomfortable. After him confessing to me, and me confessing that I saw him as more than a friend, I felt weird about talking to him. And Kendall did _not_ help with that.

_Come on Logan, man up. You. Can. Do. This._

Feeling a little more determined, I marched resolutely to my dresser and retrieved my phone from on top. I went to my recent calls and called Jett's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Logan. You wouldn't happen to have Camille's number, would you?" I asked. I mentally congratulated myself on not stuttering and sounding like a fool.

"Oh, yeah." He gave me her number, and I quickly scribbled it down a sheet of paper.

"Thanks." I said, and Jett laughed a little.

"You're welcome." I hung up after that, my heart beating a little faster. I felt little flutters in my stomach, which I brushed off.

I dialed Camille's number and waited.

"Hello?" She finally answered.

"Hey Camillie, it's Logan. Um, I kind of have a little situation and I was wondering if I could get some advice."

"Oh, sure. Did you want to meet up?"

"Uh, yeah, that would be good."

"Alright, do you know the sandwich shop near work?" My mind instantly supplied me with an image of said sandwich shop, which happened to be where Jett kissed me for the first time. My face burned with the memory.

"Y-Yeah. See you in five."

"Okay."

I grabbed my wallet and phone and headed downstairs to put on my shoes and grab my jacket. I grabbed my keys from the table near the door and locked up my house before disarming my car. I drove to the shop and parked my car before heading inside. I spotted Camille and quickly approached her.

"So what's up?" She asked once I was seated. I chewed my lip.

"Well you know about my, uh, arrangement with Jett, right?" Camille nodded, prompting me to continue. "Well yesterday, he told me that his parents were actually coming tomorrow. So we spent earlier today practicing."

"Something happened." It wasn't a question, judging by the knowing look on Camille's face. I nodded.

"Yeah. He, uh, kind of confessed to me." She didn't look surprised.

"And how did you respond?"

"Well, I told him the truth. I didn't like him as much as he liked me…but I know I feel something more than friendship for him." I said. Camille looked away before looking back at me.

"Is there more?" She asked. I nodded again.

"Yeah. Yesterday I went to play hockey at the rink with my friends. Kendall was there, and he said something to me. And now every time I talk to Jett or look at him or even _think _of him, all I can hear is Kendall saying it to me over and over."

"What did he say?"

I took a deep breath.

"He told me to be careful around Jett. I didn't get why, so I went to talk to him today. And he told me that he thinks Jett will hurt me." I said.

Camille played with the napkin dispenser on the table for a couple of seconds before looking at me.

"Kendall's right."

My jaw dropped.

"Are you serious? You…you're _agreeing_ with him?" Camille nodded.

"Yes. Haven't _you_ thought that Kendall was right?" She asked. I looked away.

"The thought might have come up once." I admitted. "But he's being so damn complicated. He won't tell me why he thinks he has to warn me about Jett. When I asked him why he cares, he said he didn't care, but he obviously does because why else would he tell me what he did?" I added.

Camille shook her head.

"You're right too. Kendall does care. And he's right because Jett is going to hurt you."

"How do you know?" I demanded. This whole "Jett is going to hurt you" thing was getting on my last nerve. Kendall had just said that he felt that he would. If Camille said the same thing, I was seriously going to stab myself in the eye.

"There's so much about Jett you don't know."

"Then tell me what I need to know, damn it!" I hadn't meant to raise my voice, but I was so annoyed. Camille gave me a warning look, so I leaned away from the table. "It's the same thing with you and Kendall; you feel he's going to do hurt me, but you won't tell me why. And you apparently know more than Kendall does, but you won't tell me!"

"He has a history, Logan! He does things to people! He fucking _ruins _them, and acts like nothing happens! Not all of us were fortunate to have people willing to protect them. You should be more grateful!"

I had never seen Camille get so mad. Her face was red with anger, her eyes were narrowed, and her body was tense. She shook her head, and I watched as she slowly began to relax.

"Kendall doesn't know about Jett's history, but Jett must have said something to him and that's why he wants you to be careful." She said, much quieter than before.

"And you?" I finally asked.

"I didn't know about his history when I worked for him." She played with the napkin dispenser again. "He was so charming, and witty, and attractive. I would have to be made of stone to resist him."

"It went wrong." I said, a sick feeling in my stomach. My perfect image of Jett was slowly being chipped away.

"Yeah. We started dating, and one day he took me out for drinks. I had a little too much, and he took me back to his house…and took advantage of me. A month after that, I found out I was pregnant. He forced me to get rid of the baby and called me all these disgusting names. He said I cheated on him, and he broke it off."

I felt like I was going to vomit. I swallowed roughly and began playing with my fingers, trying to distract myself from the churning in my stomach.

"That's terrible." I mumbled. Camille nodded.

"It is. He did that to so many other girls too. I even think Gloria was a victim of his at one point, but they patched it up pretty quick. I don't want him to hurt you like he did to me. Logan, you have to stay away from Jett."

"How? I…I need this job." I said.

"Don't start anything with him. You're worth more than another notch in his belt. You have people protecting you. Don't push them away." She said gently, grabbing my hand in hers. "Promise me."

I nodded, squeezing her hand.

"I promise."


	10. The Meeting and The Plan

I straightened my shirt for the fifth time since I had put it on and paced in front of my bed. Today was Sunday, and it was also the day I had to put all of those awkward couple-y moments with Jett to good use. After what Camille had told me yesterday, I was even more uncomfortable about doing it than before. I didn't trust Jett as much as I originally had, and I was worried about how he would hurt me.

My phone vibrated on my nightstand, causing me to almost jump out of my skin. I walked over to it and picked it up, the two words sending my heart plummeting to my stomach.

_**It's time.**_

I grabbed my keys and headed downstairs, opening the door and coming face to face with Kendall. I blinked in shock before shaking my head.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. He looked at me.

"Remember what I said." He responded ominously before walking down the steps and heading back to his house.

"How could I forget? I hear your voice in my head reminding me every five seconds." I grumbled. It hadn't been as quiet as I thought it was, because Kendall turned towards me with a satisfied smirk.

"Great! My warning is doing its job." I rolled my eyes and locked the door before going down the steps and getting inside my car. I entered Jett's address in my GPS and slowly drove to his mansion, trying to prevent the inevitable.

When I finally arrived, I sat in the car for a few moments. Then I sighed and got out, jiggling my keys in my hands. I knocked on the door and waited for barely a minute before it was answered.

"Logan! You're here." Jett said with a grin. I ignored the nauseous feeling in my stomach and forced myself to smile.

"Yep. Are your parents here?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, not yet." I followed him inside nervously wringing my hands. Jett noticed, and arched his eyebrows. "You're not getting scared, are you?" He asked, his tone slightly haughty. I repressed the urge to retort in a not-so-nice way and widened my grin.

"Nope." I said, forcing my hands to stop moving. Jett shrugged before heading down the hall.

"Alright. Can I get you anything?"

"Water's good." I responded.

I followed the hallway into the kitchen, where Jett handed me a water bottle. I muttered my thanks and quickly took a few sips, which helped my nausea somewhat.

The doorbell rang, and my head turned towards the door quickly.

"That's probably them." Jett mumbled. I set my bottle down and went back into the hall, where I watched him open the door.

A man and a woman were on the other side, and they both looked like spitting images of Jett. They even had the same "I'm better than you" look down to a tee.

I stepped forward, listening to their conversation.

"Hello!" Jett said, his voice bright and cheery. I almost rolled my eyes at how fake it was, but stopped myself.

"Hello, son." His father said gruffly. His mother's response was much warmer, going as far as to hug Jett. I watched in awe.

Huh. Maybe she wasn't a cold, heartless prick like her son was.

Finally the time came to introduce myself.

"I'm Logan." I said. Jett's father examined me closely.

"It's nice to finally meet you." He finally said, holding his hand out for me to shake.

"Oh, aren't you adorable!" His mother complimented me. "I'm Rose, and my husband is David." She said warmly. "Our younger son Dak is actually coming later on."

At that, I sent a curious look towards Jett, but he ignored me. I faced Rose again.

"I can't wait to meet him." I said, and she smiled. We all headed to the living room, where Jett served his parents' wine. I politely declined, since I was only eighteen.

"So how old are you?" David asked me. "You seem pretty young."

"He's twenty two." Jett said before I could even open my mouth. I glared at him slightly. David raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. "Only three years younger than me." He added.

I turned towards David with a slight smile.

"How long have you been engaged?" Rose asked, sipping at her wine.

"A few months now." I answered coolly, unable to stop myself from sending a satisfied smirk towards Jett.

We got quiet after that.

The doorbell rang again, and I got up before Jett could.

"I got it." I said, already walking towards the door. The man on the other side blinked in confusion at me.

"You're Jett's fiancé?" He asked. I nodded. "Huh. I expected you to be uglier." He said. I laughed.

"Thanks, I guess." I replied. Dak smiled.

"My brother has terrible taste in partners. In high school, he brought home this girl with a crooked nose and her front teeth missing." I laughed, and Dak's smile widened.

"Okay, that's enough." I turned, seeing Jett walking towards us.

"But babe, he was just telling me about you in high school. Apparently I'm way more attractive than anyone you dated in your past relationships." I said, smiling at him. Jett gave me a shocked look, but quickly made his smile match mine.

"Of course you are." He said, leaning in to press his lips against my cheek.

"So can I come in? Or should I just stand outside?" Dak asked. Jett gestured for him to enter, and I closed the door after him.

He went into the living room and greeted his parents, and then we all sat down again.

"So Logan, what do you do for a living?"

My mind went blank for a moment.

"Oh, I'm an editor for a book company." I said quickly. Nobody looked really impressed, but it was the first thing I thought of.

"Oh, that's nice." Rose said, but by her expression I could tell she really didn't think so.

"Jett's the brains behind some retarded magazine." Dak said, rolling his eyes. Rose looked at him sharply.

"Dak! That's not nice." She admonished. Dak shrugged and drank some of his wine. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I think it's cool." I said. David looked at me.

"We would have preferred if he did something else, but I guess we can't really complain." He said, gesturing towards the room.

"What was your house like before your moved in with Jett?" Rose asked. I swallowed.

"Oh, uh, nice. I still live there." I said. Her eyebrows raised.

"You mean you two don't live together?" She asked, looking back and forth between us.

I looked at Jett to see a blank expression on his face.

"No, Logan wants to be closer to his job."

Rose dropped it after that, complimenting the living room. Jett stood up suddenly, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him.

"I need to talk to Logan about something real quick." He said. I glanced back at Dak, David, and Rose to see them giving us confused looks.

"What are you doing?" I asked when we were safely away, yanking my arm away from him.

"You really need to watch what you're saying. They've been here for barely an hour and we're already running the risk of them finding out." He said. I narrowed my eyes.

"Well I'm sorry, but aren't _you_ the one who only covered the physical stuff?" I snapped. I didn't mean for my voice to come out so harsh, but I couldn't help it. Jett was pissing me off.

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" He asked. I glared at him.

"Yeah, it is." I said. I stepped away from him. "By the way, I know all about your little game." I added, beginning to walk away. It probably wasn't a good idea, but I wanted him to know that I wasn't about to become another one of his victims.

Jett grabbed me and roughly shoved me against the wall.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He demanded. I ignored the throbbing in my back and smirked at him.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." I said. He narrowed his eyes.

"Who told you?"

I shrugged.

"I couldn't say." I responded. He pushed me harder into the wall, his hands gripping my shoulders painfully.

"Was it Kendall?" I didn't answer, staring at him defiantly. "Do you really believe him, Logan? I don't know what happened, but he hurt you so badly. Why would you trust someone like that?" He asked.

"I trust him a hell of a lot more than I trust you, asshole." I growled. Jett slapped me, causing me to yelp in pain. He pressed his hand against my mouth.

"I can fire you, you know that? So I'd stop talking if I were you." He said, stepping away from me.

I stared after him hatefully before sighing. I couldn't afford to get fired. I reluctantly went back into the living room, where Dak gave me a concerned look.

"Hey, what happened to your face?" He asked. I decided to play dumb.

"Huh?" I asked. Dak got up and looked closer at my face.

"It's all red. What happened?"

"Oh, I don't know. Sometimes that just happens." I lied, looking away. Dak sighed quietly and went back to his seat.

After a few more minutes, we all went to the dining room to eat. I sat next to Jett, resisting the urge to stab my knife into his hand. The silence was awkward, but there was no way in hell I was going to break it. I didn't want to be slammed into a wall again.

_Speaking of that, my shoulders still hurt_.

"Can I be excused?" Dak asked. Without waiting for an answer, he got up. "Hey Logan, can you show me to the bathroom?"

Everyone's eyes landed on me, but then David looked at Dak.

"You know where the bathroom is." He said. Dak shook his head.

"I forgot. And this house is so damn confusing."

Everyone looked at me again. I cleared my throat and pushed my seat back.

"Yeah, I'll help you." I said.

What did Dak want? I cautiously followed him towards the bathroom, where he ushered me in and closed the door.

"I know you're not really engaged to him." He said, getting straight to the point.

"How do you know?" I demanded. Dak rolled his eyes.

"You don't have a ring, and there's no chemistry between you." He said. I looked away.

"Okay, we're not really engaged. He hired me to be his fake fiancé. Happy?" I asked.

"Not necessarily. Don't get into a relationship with him. He's a real jerk." He said. I snorted.

"I know. I may have had some feelings for him, but they're long gone." I said. "We should go back before they get suspicious." I added.

Dak nodded, and we both left.

"Did you find the bathroom alright?" Rose asked once we were both seated. Dak and I exchanged a look.

"Yep."

After a few more torturous hours, everyone finally left. I went to leave too, but Jett grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He said. I pulled my arm away.

"I don't believe you." I said icily. I saw his eyes fill with anger.

"I'll see you at the office tomorrow." He said.

I nodded and walked back to my car. When I got home, I just sat in the driveway for a few minutes, thinking over everything that had just happened. From what Camille had told me, I figured Jett was an asshole. And with Dak, his own brother, telling me that, I confirmed my thoughts. But what I still didn't know was what happened between Kendall and Jett. If I asked, I doubted either of them would answer.

I looked at Kendall's house.

_What aren't you telling me?_

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

I sighed, crossing off yet another number. I had one number left.

_One last chance_.

I quickly dialed it.

"Hello?"

"I need your help."

"_Kendall_? How the fuck did you get my number?" James demanded.

"Uh, that's not important. Look, I really need your help."

"No. Find someone else."

"It's about Logan!" I said quickly. James was silent for a few seconds.

"What did you do to him?" He asked suspiciously. I sighed.

"_I_ didn't do anything to him. But Jett wants to do something to him. I have a plan, but I kind of need your help."

"Wait, wait. Who the hell is Jett?" I blinked.

"You mean Logan didn't tell you?" I asked.

"No…?"

"Well, that's a surprise." I muttered.

"Tell me."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. There's probably a reason Logan didn't tell you." And, I _really_ didn't want Logan to explode on me.

"Do you want my help or not?" James asked. I groaned. I really needed his help…

"Well, we both applied for the same job…" I began. I told him everything, including Logan's arrangement with Jett and how Jett was a huge douche.

"…"

"James? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"So, are you going to help me?" I asked hopefully. I heard him sigh.

"I really hate your guts, Kendall."

"I'm aware."

"But Logan's my best friend. And if I can somehow protect him from that bastard, I'll protect him. What's your plan?" He asked.

I quickly did a fist pump before answering James.

"Well, the only way Jett's little plan is going to work is if Logan starts a relationship with him or if he's attracted to him."

"Okay…"

"But if Logan's attracted to someone else, then it won't work."

James was quiet for a few moments.

"What does this have to do with me?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

"I need you to help me get Logan to fall in love with me."


	11. I Can Play His Game

**I was seriously was not expecting to have this posted so soon. But the chapter kind of wrote itself, so I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh _hell_ no! Do you remember the last time Logan fell in love with you?" James yelled. I held the phone away from ear until the ringing stopped, and then I answered.

"Yes. I was there, you know." I responded.

"Bitch, you better not be getting sassy with me." James warned. I rolled my eyes. "And, I don't know if you noticed, but Logan hates you." He added.

"That's where you come in. You have to help me get Logan to stop hating me, and then get him to fall in love with me." I said.

"Right. Getting Logan to fall in love with you would be like getting a pig to fly." James said dryly.

"You could throw the pig off of the top of a building and it would fly for a few seconds."

"…"

"What?"

"You are one sadistic fucker. Why would you throw a pig off of a building?" He demanded. "That's cruel!"

"Who cares about the pig? Logan's emotional health is at stake. We need to divert his attention from Jett on to me." I responded, annoyed.

"It's not going to work, Kendall."

"We haven't even tried it yet!" I argued. James sighed.

"Why do you want Logan to fall in love with you so bad?" He asked. I blinked, confused.

"Uh, so he doesn't fall in love with Jett and get his heart broken beyond repair." I answered.

"But you told me you're not in love with Logan. Getting Logan to fall in love with you would mean that eventually he would ask you if you returned his feelings. Instead of Jett breaking his heart, _you _would. Again."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Maybe you weren't being as honest as you think you are."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think you're in love with Logan. It explains why as soon as Jett got in the picture, you got super jealous. And why you're trying so hard to protect him, and why you're trying to get him to fall in love with you." James said.

I could feel my face turning red.

"I'm not in love with him." I said, thankful that he couldn't see me.

"Right." He said, clearly unconvinced.

"Would you rather him fall in love with me or Jett?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, I guess you're the lesser of the two evils-" I grinned.

"Thanks, James. I'm flattered."

"Shut it, Blondie. As I was saying, I would prefer if he didn't fall in love with either of you, but you seem to be less of a douche. So yeah, I'll help you. But keep this in mind: break his heart and I break your neck."

I involuntarily gulped.

"Noted."

* * *

**Monday**

**Logan's Point of View**

"So how was it?" Camille asked. I leaned on her desk, shrugging.

"Okay, I guess." I mumbled. My face still hurt from when Jett slapped me yesterday. I had bruises on my shoulders from when he had pushed me against the wall and held me there. It hurt to move them, but I didn't want anyone to ask anything, so I pretended they weren't there. Even though they hurt like a bitch.

"You can tell me what happened, you know." She said, pausing from typing and given me a pointed look. "I can tell when you're not telling the whole truth." She added.

I groaned and looked at her.

"It was okay at first. But then he pulled me aside because he thought I was going to blow it. I blamed him for only going over the physical stuff, and I think I kind of pissed him off. And I might have told him that I knew about the games he played with people." I muttered the last part, hoping Camille wouldn't hear. But as always, luck was not on my side.

"Logan! Why would you do that?"

"I was mad, okay? Everything just comes out when I'm mad." I said, waving my hands helplessly. Camille shook her head.

"What happened?" I shifted uncomfortably.

"He slammed me into the wall and asked if it was Kendall, and he asked me why I would trust him. I told him I trusted Kendall a lot more than I trust him…and he slapped me."

"What?"

That wasn't Camille's voice. I turned around to see Kendall looking at me, his hands clenched into fists.

This was _not_ good. I quickly stood up.

"What what?" I asked, and Camille gave me a look.

"That made so sense."

"Shut up." I said, blushing. I turned back to Kendall. "What did you hear?"

"Oh nothing, other than that fucking asshole _slapped_ you!" He turned towards the direction of Jett's office. "I'm going to…talk to him real quick." He said.

I grabbed his arm.

"Stop it."

"He hit you." Kendall said, his eyes filled with anger.

"Kendall, we're not friends. You don't have to protect me. I can take care of myself." I said coldly. "So stop it."

Kendall didn't look away from me.

"That's where you're wrong." He said. "I need to protect you."

I let go of his arm. We stood there, standing in the middle of the hallway, just staring at each other.

"I can take care of myself." I repeated.

"But do you have the balls to play his game? You need me, and Camille, Logan." Kendall countered.

I knew I didn't have the balls. But maybe if I _acted_ like I did, Kendall would back off. For some reason, I wanted to prove to him that I did. I knew Camille had told me that I shouldn't push away the people trying to protect me, but I didn't need Kendall.

"Yeah, I do." I said confidently. I saw Camille's eyes widen, but I ignored it.

"Logan, what are you getting at?" She asked. "Did anything I said to you on Saturday stick? Jett is _not_ someone you want to mess with." She said.

I looked at her.

"You told me that he broke everyone else, right? Maybe it's time for someone to break _him_." I said. Her eyes widened even more.

"Logan, no! You have no idea what you're getting into. What you've seen of him is only a glimpse of his true character. He's so much worse than that."

I shrugged.

"I can take it." I said.

Kendall shook his head at me.

"You are something else." He muttered. "We're trying to protect you from him, Logan. Why would you play his stupid game?" He asked.

"I never asked for your help." I told him. "You all assume that he's going to hurt _me_. But did you ever thing that maybe I can hurt him instead?" I asked.

"Logan, you're too nice. He'll tear you apart before you're through." Camille said. I narrowed my eyes.

"You don't know anything about me. I'll break him, you'll see."

"This is ridiculous, Logan. You're putting your heart out on a table for Jett to cut it up into pieces. Think about what you're going to do." Kendall argued. I crossed my arms.

"I have. I'm ready."

"I thought you promised that you wouldn't start anything with him?" Camille asked. I avoided looking at her.

"Things have changed." I said. Kendall groaned.

"You want him to hurt you? Fine. I'm done." He said, walking away.

"Logan, seriously. I know you want to prove to Kendall that you're this independent guy who can take care of himself, but you're risking having your heart broken for it. This is stupid. Jett's not worth it." Camille said, standing in front of me.

"Kendall broke my heart before. I got over it." I said. Camille shook her head.

"You're not. Every time he's around, you get this look in your eyes."

"You must be seeing my hate for him." I said. I had no idea what "look" she was talking about. Camille shook her head.

"That's the thing. It's _not_ hate."

I stared at her for a few moments before shaking my head.

"I should go see if Jett needs anything." I mumbled.

When I entered Jett's office, I saw Kendall was already there. He ignored me as I entered. Jett handed Kendall a stack of papers. He turned to leave, roughly bumping his shoulder against mine. I clenched my hand into a fist and looked at Jett.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked him. Jett shrugged.

"I guess you can do the same thing as Kendall now." I nodded. "What happened yesterday?" He asked.

I sighed.

"I had a fight with my friend James. I didn't mean to act like that." I said. If I wanted to start something with Jett, I needed him to forgive me for what happened yesterday.

"Try not to let your personal problems affect work, okay?" He said with a slight smile. I nodded.

"Got it."

He got up from his desk and went to the door, closing it.

"I'm sorry for hitting you yesterday. It was really out of line." He said. I almost called him a liar, but then I remembered my plan.

"It's fine." I said sweetly. I lowered my voice to a seductive tone. "Sometimes I like it rough." I said. I almost gagged as the words left my mouth, but I kept myself in check.

"O-Oh." Jett shifted, his eyes darting away from me. I smirked to myself. "Well, we should get back to work." He said, coughing.

"Right." I said. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Well you can pick up this article from one of our writers." He said, handing me a piece of paper. I nodded.

"Okay." I said, beginning to walk to the door. Once I was close enough, I teasingly brushed my lips against his ear. "See you later."

I closed the door behind me with a click and instantly began laughing to myself. At this rate, Jett would be putty in my hands in a matter of days.

_That'll show Kendall_.

I went to my car and entered the address into the GPS. I arrived at an apartment complex, and headed inside. I rode the elevator to the floor the writer's apartment was on and knocked on their door once I found it. It opened after a few moments.

"Oh, Logan. What are you doing here?"

I stared in front of me in shock. What the hell was _she_ doing here?

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Well, more like demanded.

"I live here." She said, almost smiling.

"Oh. I came to pick up an article from Jett." I said. Jo looked at me in shock.

"You work for him too?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Problem?"

"Oh, it's just that Kendall works for him too. Isn't that hard? I mean, especially after what happened in high school." She said. I narrowed my eyes.

"What happened in high school was _your_ fault, whore." I said. I hadn't meant to call her a whore, but the word slipped out before I could stop myself. She didn't seem affected though, giving me a sickly sweet smile.

"Sweetie, it's not my fault Kendall isn't into guys." She said condescendingly. I laughed.

"Right, that's why he wanted to have sex with me. How many times did _you_ have sex with him?"

Jo's face dropped, and I smirked triumphantly. I knew I was kind of being an asshole, but I really didn't care.

"I'll go get that article." She mumbled, her face red. I snickered under my breath. Jo got the article, and I took it from her without another word.

"Logan." I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"Yes?" I asked expectantly.

"There's a chance Kendall and I could get back together. So I wouldn't be so smug if I were you." She said. I snorted.

"Sure." I drawled. "Have fun in your little delusional world." I said.

"He said so himself!" I stopped again before turning around and laughing.

"It's funny how you think I care. I don't like him. If you want him, he's all yours. But I don't think his type is blonde sluts anymore." I said.

Okay, wow, that was rude. I almost apologized, but then I thought of what I'd probably say. I didn't want to talk to her anymore before I said something else. I continued walking, clutching the paper tight in my hands.

_Maybe Camille was right. Maybe…I'm _not _over Kendall._

No, I was over him. I was just mad because Jo was a total bitch. It had nothing to do with her saying she had a chance with Kendall.

...Right?


	12. Listen To Me

**James' Point of View**

Wow. Who knew Kendall was so gullible? Maybe I should use that to my advantage next time.

But seriously, did he _really_ think I was going to make Logan fall in love with him? He doesn't need my help. I can already tell that he's going to fall for Logan. And once that happens, he just has to realize his feelings. By then, Logan would probably have fallen for him too.

The only thing I would do is make Kendall believe that I was doing something to make Logan fall for him, when really he was falling for Kendall all by himself. And maybe push Logan in the right direction if I felt him slipping. But other than that, I would just sit back and watch everything play out.

I still wanted to maim Kendall, but he was helping my best friend. I could tell he genuinely cared for Logan. Logan hadn't told me anything about work, so it would look weird if I suddenly started telling him to stay away from his boss. Whereas Kendall knows about the whole thing, so it wouldn't be weird if he tried to help Logan. Well, if you disregard the fact that Logan has a less than positive opinion of him right now.

I just really hope Logan doesn't push Kendall away.

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

"He's going to hurt himself." Camille said with a worried look.

"You think I don't know that? God, I knew he could be stupid sometimes but not _this_ stupid." Kendall said, sliding his hand down his face.

"Well you did say he didn't have the balls." She pointed out. Kendall gave her a half-hearted glare.

"Yeah, well I didn't think he was going to try to be Mr. Tough Guy."

"I know." Camille said.

"I can't believe him right now. He's being an idiot."

"I know, Kendall. That's why we need to keep him away from Jett. He'll probably listen to you more than me."

"Uh, were you not here when he decided he was going to play Jett's game? And I think you're forgetting that he hates me."

"Yes, but when you told him he had no balls, he decided to prove you wrong. Meaning he cares about what you're saying."

"Hm. Good point."

I rolled my eyes, leaning against the wall.

"If you're going to talk about me, at least do it in a place where I won't hear you." I said dryly.

"No, you were supposed to hear. Takes notes; they'll help you when you're about to break your own heart." Kendall responded, equally as dry. I rolled my eyes again.

"You need to back off, Kendall. I have the balls to play his game."

"Will you just listen to us? You're going to hurt yourself!" Camille said. I groaned.

"I'm not having this conversation. I've made up my mind. You just have to accept it."

"Well we're never going to accept this. You're being an idiot." Kendall said sharply. I pushed myself off the wall.

"I know what I'm getting into. I'm willing to take the risk." I told him. He glared at me.

"When you hurt yourself, I'm not going to stop myself from saying I told you so." He said. I snorted.

"That's not going to happen."

"You don't know that." Kendall insisted.

"Why do _you_ even care? I can understand Camille, but why you?" I asked. "We hate each other."

"I'm not your enemy: Jett is."

"Well you're definitely not my friend."

"I'm trying to help you! I'm not the one trying to hurt you." He said.

"But you have." I said bitterly.

"Yeah, two years ago. I'm not trying to hurt you now." I clenched my hand into a fist and looked away.

"I was in love with you. And…and you just used me for your own personal needs." I muttered, praying to every high power that Camille hadn't heard anything.

Thankfully, she hadn't. She just watched us with her eyebrows furrowed.

"I know. It was messed up, _I know_. But Logan, you got to trust me. Let me protect you." He reached out, holding me by my upper arms and leaning down a little so we were face to face. "Please, Logan. Please don't do this. If not for me, than for yourself."

"_**Do you trust me?"**_

"_**Yes…"**_

Damn it, why was I thinking of that? I yanked myself from Kendall's grip and took a few steps back.

"No." I said. "I'm doing this."

I walked away before he could say anything else.

"Logan!" I turned at the sound of Jett's voice. "Did you get that article?"

"Yeah, here." I handed him the slightly crumpled papers.

"Great, thanks." He said. I forced myself to smile.

"No problem. Are you free later? I need to talk to you about something." I said. Jett looked surprised.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Meet me in my office." I nodded and he walked away.

I went to the elevator and took it to the main floor. Gloria raised her eyebrows as I passed, but I ignored her and went outside. There was a bench outside of the building, so I sat on it and pressed my head into my hands.

I still thought it was ironic how Kendall, the one who hurt me most, wanted to protect me from someone else. I knew he and Camille were serious about me getting hurt, but I wanted to prove them wrong. I would beat Jett at his own game. They just needed to give me a chance.

"Hey."

"Go away, Kendall." I said. I didn't want to talk to him right now. But of course, he ignored me and sat down next to me.

"Logan."

"What?" I snapped, looking at him. I almost felt bad when I saw the expression on his face. He looked so scared and sad. I had never seen that expression on him before, and the unfamiliar sight made a shiver go down my spine.

"Stop pushing me away, okay?" He asked.

"Whatever." I said. Kendall sighed.

"Do you want to know why I care?" He asked. I slowly looked at him.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I don't want anyone else to hurt you." He paused, his lips twisting downwards. "When I saw you that day you moved in, I was determined to make your life a living hell. And when I saw you at that interview, I was thinking the same thing.

But when I heard about what Jett wanted you to do, and when I heard about who he really was, something changed. I could see that he was going to really hurt you, and I knew that I had hurt you too. In a way, I want to fix what I did wrong. By protecting you from him, I thought that you would forgive me.

Logan, I had no right to treat you how I did that day. I had no right to take your virginity or continue to have sex with you. You…you should have saved that for the right person. I'm so sorry." He finished.

I stared at him in shock.

"Kendall…" I wasn't sure how I should respond.

He gave me a weak smile.

"Be careful. I know I've said that so many times, but _be careful_."

I don't know why I did it, but I wrapped my arms around Kendall tightly and hugged him. After a few seconds, I felt his arms around me. He was still warm and smelt the same way he had in high school. I felt myself relax on his arms.

He pulled away from me, and the loss of heat made me shiver slightly.

"Do you still hate me?" He asked.

"For what you did? Yeah, I do." I paused, trying to answer his question as honestly as possible. "But I can see you're not as bad as I thought you were. You're…different." I said.

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"I don't know." I answered. "It's going to take a lot for me to forgive you. But…I think I'm more open to forgiving you than before."

"So if I were to get you forgive me, would we be okay?" His face didn't show how he was feeling, but his voice was slightly hopeful.

"Yeah, I think we would." I answered. Kendall nodded, leaning back on the bench.

"You're not going to change your thoughts on the Jett thing, are you?" He asked. I shook my head, and he sighed heavily. "Then I guess Camille and I will just have to support you. But the moment we sense things are going to go wrong, we will intervene." He said.

I grinned.

"Thank you." I said. He shook my head.

"Don't thank me. This could go very bad."

"I know, and I'm ready." He sighed again.

"Then good luck, I guess." I nodded.

"We should get back to work." I said. Kendall nodded, and we both stood.

We rode the elevator in silence, not looking at each other. After I talked to Kendall, I found I didn't feel annoyed or angry when I was around him. I just had a sort of neutral feeling.

We both exited the elevator, Kendall going to where the printers were and me going towards Jett's office. Once I was outside, I took a few moments to think about what I was going to say. Once I was sure, I knocked on the door and opened it.

"Ah, Logan." Jett said. I smiled a little and sat down in front of his desk. He leaned on his desk. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You know how you told me to tell you when I figured out my feelings for you?" I asked. Jett leaned forward, looking interested.

"Yeah..?"

"I think I figured them out." I said. Jett raised an eyebrow.

"Positive or negative?" He asked. I grinned.

"Definitely positive."

"Awesome! Are you free on Saturday?" I nodded. "I was thinking we could go out to dinner." He said.

I smirked.

"It's a date."


	13. Admitting

**Kendall's Point of View**

"You moron!"

"Ouch!" I screeched, cradling my now aching cheek in my hand. I sent a harsh glare to the brunette in front of me. "The hell was that for?" I demanded.

"That was for you telling Logan we support this. We don't support this, damn it!" She exclaimed, reaching forward to slap my other cheek. I quickly leaned away and grasped her shoulders.

"Camille! I know we don't support this. The only reason I said it was so that Logan would try to not be so angry towards me. If he's still upset with me for what I did to him, my plan won't work." I said. Camille rolled her eyes.

"And what is your plan, oh wise one?" I ignored her sarcastic tone.

"I'm going to get Logan to fall for me, steer him away from Jett, and keep him from breaking his heart over this stupid thing." I said. Camille raised her eyebrows.

"That's a stupid plan. It's not going to work." I released her shoulders, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Not waiting for an answer, I continued on my mini-rant. "First you, then James. Can you at least have a little faith in me? No one can resist my charm. _No one_." I said.

Camille gave me a blank look.

"You have charm?" And then, "Who's James?"

I scowled.

"Yes, I have charm." I snapped. "And James is Logan's best friend, who's helping me with my plan, which for your information is _not_ stupid!"

"Well then he must be stupid too. How is this better than Logan trying to hurt Jett? When he falls for you, _if_ he falls for you that is, what are you going to do? Reject him?"

I looked away.

"I haven't thought that far yet."

"Kendall." I forced myself to look at Camille. She laid her hand on my arm. "Instead of getting Logan to fall for you, why don't you just admit your feelings already?" She asked gently. I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said. Camille sighed.

"Kendall, even a blind man could see how you feel about Logan. You're obvious…maybe even _too_ obvious. If you didn't feel anything romantically for Logan, you wouldn't have seen Jett as a threat and gotten so jealous. You're very protective over him, and don't you dare say it's because you think of him as a friend. You love him. Just tell him that."

I looked away again.

"I can't love him." I said. I glanced at Camille, seeing her narrow her eyes slightly. She removed her hand from my arm and crossed her arms.

"And why not?"

I shook my head.

"He's spent the last two years hating my guts. And even earlier he said he still hates me. It's going to take a lot for him to forgive me. I…I'm just starting to get him back, Camille. I can't ruin it by confessing to him. I don't want to lose him again."

Camille sighed again.

"I understand. But you should tell James you don't need his help anymore. This…this is something you can do on your own. Just ease into it. Show Logan how sorry you are, and show him how much you love him. After a while, he'll forget about trying to break Jett and you'll save him from hurting himself." She said.

I nodded.

"Alright."

After work, I called James and told him I didn't need his help anymore. Instead, I told him Logan needed him. I told him about Logan's "brilliant" idea to hurt Jett. He got pretty pissed off about it, but he agreed to talk to Logan later. I thanked him and hung up.

Currently, I was sitting on the same spot on the couch. How had I not noticed I loved Logan sooner? Why was it that James and Camille could see it before I could? And better yet…how could Logan react when I told him?

I needed him. I needed to protect him. I wanted to tell him I loved him and I wanted to kiss him and, most of all, I wanted to fix what I ruined in high school. I wanted a new start with Logan. I wanted him, all of him. I wanted to say he was mine, and no one else's.

"God," I groaned. "You sound like a schoolgirl. Besides, how do you know that Logan will even want you?"

I heard a small squeak from the house as my response. I groaned and sunk down farther into the couch.

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

"You know," I said, only to have Jett's lips smash against mine again. I groaned and pulled away. "I don't usually kiss before the first date."

Jett chuckled and pulled away. I stepped away from the front door I had been pinned against. Jett had insisted on taking me home today. And even though I was pissed about leaving my car near the office, I still went. After all, the sooner he falls for me, the quicker and I can break his heart and stop making out with him.

"It's a little too late for that now, isn't it?" He asked. I shrugged and grinned. "Well, I should get going. I'll see you on Saturday." He said. At this, I raised my eyebrows.

"You're not coming to work?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Family vacation. I tried to get out of this year, but no luck." He said with a shrug. I pretended to look sad.

"Who am I supposed to kiss until then?" I asked, pouting. Jett laughed and pressed his lips to mine again.

"No one; you'll have to wait until I get back." He said. I grinned.

"Alright."

He smiled at me before kissing me once more and going down the steps. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I let out a relieved sigh and unlocked the front door. I made a beeline to the bathroom, where I rinsed my mouth out with Listerine.

Even with my mouth tasting like spearmint, I swore I could still taste him.

"Disgusting." I grumbled to myself. I went back to the main hallway and kicked off my shoes. The doorbell rang, causing me to groan.

"Wonder who that could be." I muttered sarcastically, opening the door. The sight in front of me made me raise my eyebrows. "James? What are you doing here?" I asked.

My best friend didn't answer me; instead, he walking into the house and closed the door. I stepped back to give him room.

"We need to talk. Well, to be more specific, _you_ need to talk." He said.

"About what?" I asked cautiously. Whatever this conversation was about, I could tell it wasn't good. James' expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with anger and hurt. I looked away instantly.

"Well, let's start with your job. What do you _really_ do?" He asked. I looked at him quickly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Shit, how did he find out? He wasn't supposed to know!

"Don't play dumb with me Logan. I know what you actually did for Jett. Were you ever even going to tell me?"

"I don't know. Probably not." I mumbled, playing with my hands. James sighed.

"Logan, we're best friends. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" I nodded. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

I sighed.

"It's not like there would be a point. I decided to pretend to be some guy's fiancé. What would telling you have done? Nothing. It was pointless." I said quietly.

"Imagine if I hadn't found out. I know about what you're trying to do to Jett. And I'm telling you right now: the guy sounds like a total douche. If I hadn't known, I wouldn't be able to protect you-"

"He told you, didn't he? Kendall told you." I asked. James stopped talking.

"Yes."

I shook my head, laughing dryly.

"Of fucking course he did. God, just when I thought he was kind of okay! Why does he insist on acting like he's my knight in fucking armor? I don't need his help. Actually, I don't need _your_ help either. Or Camille's. I'm an adult, I know what I can and cannot handle!" I exploded, waving my arms wildly as I spoke. James pressed his lips together in a thin line.

"You're such a fucking ingrate." He spat. I scowled and crossed my arms.

"Well excuse me for not accepting help I never asked for."

"Stop being so damn stubborn for once and listen to me!" James yelled. "We're trying to help you! You're going to get hurt. Why don't you see that?"

"Because I don't care! I have the balls to play his game! I know I do! So back the fuck off!" I screamed back. I could feel my face turning red. My chest heaved as my lungs struggled to get back the air they had lost.

James shook his head.

"Kendall said you were being stupid, but man, I didn't expect you to be _this_ stupid." I didn't answer, just crossed my arms and glared at him. "You know what? Fuck it. I hope he hurts you. And when you start crying like a little wuss, I'm going to laugh my head off. I'll tell Kendall and Camille to give up. When this is all over, you're going to be all alone." He said coldly.

"Whatever." I responded.

"I…" James started, but cut himself off and waved his hand. "It's not worth it." I heard him mumble under his breath. He opened the door and slammed it behind him, causing the door frame to shake.

"Whatever." I said again, much quieter than before.


	14. Here Goes Nothing

I scrubbed at my face, splashing some more cold water onto it. It didn't help: my eyes were still rimmed with red, and my head hurt from a combination of crying and not getting enough sleep. No matter how many times I adjusted myself, I still looked like shit.

"Whatever." I muttered, and I felt a sting my chest when I remembered last night, when I said that same word. I frowned and shut the tap off, watching the water drain.

I glanced at the clock, and briefly considered calling in sick. I hadn't used up any of my days, so I could really do it if I wanted to. But I decided against it, grabbing my messenger bag off of the closed toilet seat and leaving the bathroom.

I walked to my car would have been, but then I remembered I got a ride from Jett yesterday and my car was still at work. I groaned and shoved my hands into the pockets of my slacks. I passed by Kendall's house, and I felt my anger flare. But as quickly as it had come, it died out. I was mad that Kendall had told James, but it was my fault. I was the one keeping a secret from my best friend, not him.

I kicked at a rock in front of me, watching as it clattered into the street and got run over by a car. I pretended the rock had been Jett, or maybe Kendall, or hey, even James. Whoever I was mad at for the moment, because I honestly could not decide who I was more pissed off at. A sick sense of satisfaction filled me.

I kept my head down the whole way. The wind blew through my hair, but I wasn't annoyed like I usually would be. Hair gel was a wonderful creation. A quick look at my watch told me I had ten minutes and thirty-two seconds until I would be considered late.

I didn't quicken my pace.

I tried to keep my mind from straying to last night, but I couldn't help it. James' words repeated in my head in some sort of cold mantra.

_When this was all over, you're going to be all alone._

I would lose Camille if James was right. We weren't best friends…but we were close.

I shook my head and moved on.

I would lose James. Now, _that_ stung. My best friend since graduation. The guy I played ice hockey with and video games and shoved into the pool. The same guy who told me I would be alone.

I frowned.

Then there was Kendall. I wasn't sure if I could say I was going to lose him, considering how I never even had him in the first place. Well, I had him from when I was fourteen to sixteen. And we all know how that ended. My hand clenched into a fist in my pocket. I stopped at the crosswalk, and waited for the "walk" signal to be given.

_"Hey, why are you all alone?"_

I squeezed my eyes shut. This wasn't a memory I wanted to relive. I hated him now, damn it! Why would I want to think about that day we met? My mind continued to scream at me, but for some reason I ignored it and squeezed my eyes tighter together.

I let the memory play out.

_"I'm studying." I said calmly. I looked up from my notebook. A boy my age stood above me. He had dirty blonde hair and green eyes, and a bandage on his chin. "What happened to you?" I blurted out before I could think. I quickly looked away, blushing._

_"Oh, this?" The boy laughed, and I found the courage to look at him again. "I was playing street hockey with some kids. When my team won the other team charged at us. I got lucky." He laughed again and sat next to me on the ground. I instinctively scooted away, only to have the boy scoot closer._

_"Stop that!" I hissed._

_"I just want to see what you're doing." He said, his eyes scanning down the length of the page. I rolled my eyes when he looked away after a few seconds._

_"Are you happy now?" I asked. The boy looked at me._

_"Why are you always alone?" He asked. I blinked._

_"Huh?" He rolled his eyes._

_"You're always alone. I never see you with people, only books. Why?" He asked. I looked away from him._

_"I don't have any friends." I wasn't sure why I told this boy that, or why I felt like I needed to answer him, but I did. The boy's expression was soft when I looked at him._

_"My name's Kendall Knight." He said. Kendall held his hand out to me. Dumbfounded, I hesitantly grabbed it with my own hand._

_"Logan Mitchell."_

_"Congratulations Logan. You officially have one friend." He said. I blinked in surprise._

_"I do?" I asked. Kendall grinned._

_"Of course you do. Don't worry, all you really need it one friend. I'll be the bestest friend ever." He said._

_"Bestest isn't a word." I said, correcting him halfheartedly. Kendall laughed and threw his arm around my shoulder, catching me off guard._

_"This is the start of a beautiful friendship."_

I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly. I felt like I had been trapped in that moment for hours. I swore I could feel my face get hot like it had when I blushed, and I swore I could feel Kendall's arm wrapped around my shoulders and his warm breath tickling my ear.

I shook my head quickly and looked across the street. It was safe to cross now, so I jogged across the street. I walked half a block before arriving at the office. I signed in at the front desk.

"Hm, I don't think I've ever seen you this late." Gloria commented, giving me a slightly curious look.

I remembered Camille telling me about Jett and Gloria having a thing. Before I could think, the question was out of my mouth.

"What happened with you and Jett?" I blurted out. I quickly flushed and looked away. "Uh, oh shit, I didn't mean to say that-"

"It's fine." Gloria cut me off.

I nodded slowly, my face still burning. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Yeah, sorry."

"It's fine." She repeated. I swallowed and began to move away from the desk.

"Jett's not a nice person. You've probably heard this a lot." I stopped moving and looked at her. "Even a blind man could see that the person Jett wants as his newest play toy is you. So I guess a few warnings are in place. Whatever you do, don't have sex with him. He's just going to ditch you the next day. Don't exchange I love you's, because he won't ever mean it. And don't fall for his charms."

"So basically don't make the same mistake you did." It was only after I said it that I realize how harsh it sounded. I started to apologize, but Gloria's cool expression didn't change. She didn't even flinch.

My mouth snapped shut.

"Basically. Get to work, Logan." I think that was the first time she's ever said my name.

"You don't have to worry about me." I said. "I'm not dating him because I love him."

Gloria gave me a blank look.

"Then why are you with him?"

"I'm trying to prove something to someone."

"You're playing a game you don't know how to play." She said. I raised my eyebrows.

"How did you…"

"You guys aren't as secretive as you like to think. Occasionally I do have to go to the second floor." Oh. She had overheard us.

"You're going to tell me that I'm being stupid and that I should stop." It wasn't a question, and I already knew the answer. Gloria gave me a tiny shrug before flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Maybe if enough people tell it to you, it'll stick." She paused, pursing her lips. "But with the way this conversation is going, I can tell it isn't."

I pushed myself away from the desk.

"Thanks, but I've got this." I started to walk away.

"Don't think you're immune to his charm, Logan." I stopped, but didn't turn. "You're going to fall just like the rest of us."

"I think you're wrong."

"Maybe I am." Gloria sounded thoughtful. "You should get going. Unlike you, some of us have actual jobs we have to do that don't include waiting on people like a lost puppy."

I bit back a retort and took the stairs to the second floor.

Yesterday, Jett had given Kendall and me our own cubicles. They were right next to each other, which annoyed me. But there wasn't anything I could do about it. While he was gone, we were expected to revise whatever articles the others were working on.

I headed to my cubicle, ignoring Kendall completely. Well, I ignored him until he started to speak.

"I'm sorry."

I shrugged.

"Not your fault. You told James something I failed to tell him. If we're not friends anymore, it's because I wasn't honest with him. Not because you told him." I said, turning on the computer and logging in with the username and password I had been provided with.

"I thought you would have blamed me." He said, sounding surprised. I looked at him.

"I can be reasonable." I said. I heard Kendall scoff quietly.

"Could have fooled me."

I chose to ignore his remark and focused on checking my work email. I opened one of the documents and started on the revisions. My mind kept straying, so after a while I decided to stop and get some water.

I stood next to the water dispenser, paper cup in hand. My head was pounding, and no matter what I did it wouldn't stop. I drank some more water and leaned against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut and drowning out the sounds of everyone talking.

"You look like crap." I groaned and opened one eye, watching as Camille made herself some coffee. She took a sip, pulling a face and adding another packet of sugar.

"I didn't hear you come in." I muttered. She shrugged and looked at me while she stirred her coffee.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" She asked. I sighed.

"Barely."

"Kendall told me about James."

"That was fast. I had no idea he and James were best friends now." I said bitterly. Camille shook her head.

"They're just trying to-"

"Protect me. I know Camille, _I know_." I said tiredly. The effects of my sleepless night were taking effect. "You don't happen to have any aspirin, do you?" I asked hopefully.

"Headache?"

"Yeah." She motioned for me to follow her, and I did. She went under her desk and handed me a packet.

"Don't tell Jett I keep that here. We're technically not supposed to." She said with a grin. I nodded and took one of the small, white tablets, swallowing it with the aid of the rest of my water.

"Thanks." I said, turning to head back to my cubicle. Camille grabbed my arm.

"James didn't mean it. I may not even know him, but from what I heard he sounds like a great guy. He was just frustrated with you."

I snorted.

"Isn't everyone?" I asked rhetorically, walking to my cubicle.

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

I had to tell him.

He was even more upset with me after the whole incident with James. And with me constantly calling him and idiot for going along with Jett probably isn't helping me either. From how it looked now, the outcome of me telling him wasn't that great.

I knew I had told Camille I wasn't ready to confess yet, but I had put some thought into it. I didn't want to wait too long and have it be too late.. I wasn't going to let him slip away from me, not again. I would get him back…and I would keep him. I stared at the clock. Work had ended about an hour ago. Logan was probably home by now.

I would do it. Today.

I walked back outside, going in the direction that the office was. I scanned the street until I saw what I was looking for. I rushed across the street, which could have gotten me killed now that I think about it. I opened the door to the flower shop and went inside.

"Do you have dahlias?" I asked the florist. Dahlias were Logan's favorite flowers. I remember him telling me that when we were in high school.

Luckily for me, she nodded.

"Are they for a special someone?" She asked. I chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." She smiled and showed me a bouquet of lavender and white ones.

"How about these?" I nodded, staring at the flowers. I never really liked flowers, but these were beautiful.

"Those are perfect."

She smiled again and prepared them while I dug around in my pocket. I quickly grabbed them and paid for them, thanking her over my shoulder as I exited the shop. I crossed the street with much more care and walked back home, then taking a few more steps and walking up Logan's driveway. I rang the doorbell and waited, shifting from foot to foot.

Logan opened the door, still in his work clothes. His hair was tousled, and I assumed he had just woken up from a nap. He covered a yawn with his hand and raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" He asked groggily.

"Uh, I kind of needed to talk to you about something." I said. Logan blinked, his eyes drifting down to the flowers I was holding. His eyes widened slightly.

"Are those dahlias?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah…" I held them out to him, and he accepted them. He opened the door wider, pressing his hip against it to keep it propped open.

"You can go sit in the living room. I'm going to go find a vase for these." I nodded and headed to the living room, clenching and unclenching my hands. I groaned when I realized they were sweaty. Was I really that nervous?

I sat down, my leg shaking. I forced it to still and resisted the urge to bite my nails.

"So what's with the flowers?" Logan asked as he entered the living room.

"Apology gift for telling James?"

Logan sighed.

"Well those are my favorite…" He mumbled. I gave him a hopeful look.

"And?"

"Apology accepted. What did you want to talk about?" He asked. I ran my hand through my hair.

Shit. Well, it's now or never.

"You're probably going to get mad." I said. Logan raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, wow. Now I'm actually worried." He said. I laughed nervously.

"Well it's not _bad_…depending on how you look at it." I added the last part under my breath.

"Kendall, just say it." He said. I could hear the slight irritation in his voice.

"Uh, well, I-" Fuck. I should have thought about what I was going to say.

"Kendall." Logan said warningly.

Oh fuck it.

"I'm in love with you."


	15. What the Hell

**Logan's Point of View**

What. The. Fuck?!

I didn't know how to respond. I continued to stare at Kendall with my jaw open. He laughed nervously and shifted on the couch.

"Uh, Logan? Now would be when you would say something." He said. I shook my head, clearing myself out of my shocked stupor.

"I don't know what to say." I said, mostly to myself. Kendall sighed.

"Look, I know this is kind of weird for you, especially with that whole hating me thing you got going on." He said, gesturing to me as he spoke. I scowled but didn't interrupt. "But I'm not expecting for you to say it back. I'm not expecting a relationship. If anything, I would like us to just be friends." He added, standing up. I stood up quickly and grabbed his arm.

"Wait." I said, and Kendall stopped moving. I looked up at him. "If you know I'm not going to say if back, then why did you tell me?"

Kendall shrugged and avoided looking at me.

"It's better than keeping it to myself." He paused, the corner of his lip turning down. "I just wanted you to know."

"Kendall…" I didn't know what I was trying to say. "Thanks for telling me,"? Yeah, that wouldn't work.

He looked right at me, and I stared back evenly at him.

"Damn it, I don't know what it is about you. I was convinced after high school that I'd never see you again, and back then I didn't care. But now that you're here...I care. I don't want to lose you again. To Jett, or anyone."

Uh...

"Kendall -"

"I just can't stand it." He cut me off, taking a few steps towards me. My hand fell away from his arm. "I can't stand seeing you with Jett. Every time he looks at you I want to break his freaking neck."

Whoa, okay. I don't like where this is going.

I took a few steps back, but Kendall kept advancing. Eventually, my back hit the wall. I looked around quickly, trying to figure out how to get away. But Kendall placed both of his hands on either side of my head, trapping me between him and the wall. I looked at him hesitantly, my heart pounding in my chest.

"W-What are you d-doing?" I stammered. Kendall blinked and leaned away from me. His arms fell to his sides.

"Sorry. I don't know why I did that." He said, taking a few steps back.

I grabbed his arm again and yanked him to me. He looked shocked, especially when I pulled his face down to mine and pressed my lips against his. It wasn't the most pleasant of kisses; our teeth crashed together and I'm pretty sure Kendall bit my lip. He recovered from his shock and placed his hands on my waist, kissing back enthusiastically. My lips moved against his.

After a few more seconds he pulled away, his eyes wide. Slowly, my eyes widened too.

"Why did you do that?" He asked. I stepped away from him.

"I…I don't know." I said honestly. Kendall opened his mouth to say something, but then he snapped it shut.

"I better go." He said, beginning to walk away.

"Kendall!" I said. He stopped.

"Yeah?"

"I…" What was I supposed to say? "I'm sorry"? "Never mind." I muttered. Kendall looked back at me for a few moments, his eyes soft. Then he shook his head and walked away.

"Okay." He said quietly. I heard him walk to the door and close it behind him.

_What the_hell! I couldn't understand why I did that. In fact, there were a lot of things I couldn't understand.

One: I told Kendall we would be okay if he were to somehow get me to forgive him.

Two: I got pissed off when Jo started talking about Kendall and how she had a chance with him, which caused me to call her a whore and a slut (which I totally am _not_ sorry for).

And three: I had just kissed Kendall. Adding to that, I had initiated said kiss.

I slid my hand down my face. What the fuck was going on with me? I hated him. I knew I hated him. So why the hell was I being nicer to him and calling his ex-girlfriend a whore and kissing him? As far as I knew, you didn't do those things to someone you hated.

_Maybe you don't hate him as much as you think_, a tiny voice in the back of my head told me. _Maybe you really love him too_.

I ignored it and flopped onto the couch.

_I have to see him tomorrow._

The thought made me groan and slap one of the couch cushions over my head. I quickly pulled it away from my face when I realized it was the cushion Kendall had been leaning against less than five minutes ago. It smelt exactly like him; vanilla and another scent I couldn't place that was just so uniquely…_Kendall_.

Even with the pillow away from me, I swore I could still smell him. I felt like his lips were still pressed against mine. I could still feel his face in my hands. And even though I didn't have the fondest opinion of him, he was still a really good kisser.

…

"Ah! What the hell!"

* * *

For the first time, I actually wished Jett was here. Because when he was, I was always doing something.

Now I just sat in front of the computer, reading over an article I had already read at least five times and avoiding looking over at the cubicle next to mine. I could hear Kendall sighing continually, but I purposefully ignored him. I was too embarrassed about what I had done yesterday. I really couldn't believe I did it, especially after he confessed to me. Now he probably thought I was in love with him, which was not true.

"Logan."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"What?" My voice sounded harsh, but I didn't care. I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to Kendall.

"We need to talk." I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, Kendall was standing right next to me.

"No we don't." I muttered, pretending to read the article. I deleted some words and changed some, hoping that he would see that I was "busy".

"Really? Because I think we do."

"Yeah, well I disagree."

"Yeah, well I don't care." I narrowed my eyes. "Come on, let's go."

"No."

"Yes."

"Fine. I guess I'll go fall into a deep, dark depression. Do you want to see me get depressed Logie?"

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Don't call me that."

"What, Logie?" I clenched my hand into a fist.

"Stop it."

"It's because I used to call you that, right? Back then. That's why you're getting all bothered." He said.

"Shut up Kendall!" I screamed. Heads turned our way, and I quickly looked down at the ground. "Look, we're at work right now. We have to focus on doing our job. At lunch you can say anything you want. But right now, you need to get back to work."

I looked up at him. His expression was unreadable. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sorry." He said, walking away and going back to his cubicle. He sat down and began typing on the computer. He didn't say anything else to me.

* * *

"Alright, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, retrieving my sandwich from the break room fridge.

"Yesterday."

"What exactly about yesterday?" I asked, stalling. Kendall groaned.

"You know what I'm talking about, Logan." He said tiredly. I sighed and sat down in front of him.

"Alright, talk. I'm listening."

"Why did you kiss me?"

"If I knew, I would have told you."

"Something tells me you wouldn't have." I glared at him.

"Is this what you wanted to talk about?"

Kendall leaned forward.

"Tell me why you did it."

"I don't know."

"You don't just randomly kiss people you hate. So tell me."

"I don't know okay!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.

I took a bite out of my sandwich and didn't look at him.

"You love me back." He said simply. I narrowed my eyes.

"That's a pretty bold statement."

"It's the truth." He said. I growled.

"It's not."

Kendall smirked.

"So who do you love? Jett?" I scowled.

"I don't love him. You know why I'm dating him."

"So you're dating him, but you're kissing me. That makes sense." Kendall said sarcastically. I glared at him again.

"That kiss meant nothing."

"They why did you do it, Logan?"

"I don't fucking know, okay?" I hissed.

He leaned back and took a swig from his water bottle.

"I think you're lying." He said. He looked over at me, no longer smirking. "Did you regret it?"

"What?" He rolled his eyes.

"The kiss. Did you regret it?" He asked again. I stared at him for a few seconds before looking away from him.

"I don't know-"

"Don't you dare say it. Yes or no." He said firmly. I snorted.

"You're awful demanding today, Kendall." I muttered.

"Answer the question."

"Fine. No, I did not regret it. But that doesn't mean I'm in love with you or that I want to do it again or anything ridiculous like that. It was just a kiss." I snapped.

Kendall shook his head and stood up.

"You'd be surprised to know how much a kiss means." He said over his shoulder.

"This is just fan-fucking-tastic." I grumbled, throwing out the remains of my lunch. I wasn't hungry anymore.

_"You'd be surprised to know how much a kiss means."_

It didn't mean anything. To me, at least. I wasn't sure I could say the same for Kendall. Either way, it didn't matter. It was one time.

It wouldn't happen again.


	16. I'll Hurt Him

**Thursday Afternoon**

I clutched my phone tight in my hand. I wasn't sure if calling James right now was a good idea, but he was my best friend. And if I were to let our friendship go after one fight, I knew I would keep thinking about it for the rest of my life.

I dialed his number, listening to the dial tone and forcing the nervous feeling in my gut away.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi." I hadn't thought of what I was going to say. Frankly, I was surprised James even picked up.

"Logan?"

"Yeah, it's me. I think we should talk."

"…Yeah. We should. I'll be over in a few."

"Okay."

Huh. That went surprisingly well. I slid my phone closed and waited impatiently. True to his word, James arrived in a few minutes. I got up and opened the door, nodding to him in greeting. He kicked his shoes off and walked into the living room, me trailing behind him.

Suddenly, he pulled me into a bone crushing hug. I grunted, not expecting it.

"Hey, James, you're squishing me." I managed to say. He let go instantly, and I tried to regain my breath.

"Logan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was just really frustrated with you. I would never abandon you. You're…you're my best friend. And dude, I love you. Even if you're being an idiot."

I ignored the last sentence and smiled slightly.

"I know, I love you too. We good?" James grinned.

"Yes, we're good. So, anything new happen in the two days I didn't talk to you?" He asked.

My smile slipped off my face.

"Other than Kendall saying he was in love with me, no."

"Finally." He muttered. I raised my eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, what?"

James rolled his eyes.

"He's been in love with you for a while. He also took a while to figure it out too." My jaw dropped.

"You _knew_?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I demanded.

"Because it wasn't my place to say. Kendall needed to do that on his own."

I shook my head.

"I can't believe this."

"Did anything else happen?" He asked.

"I kissed him." I said. James' eyes widened.

"Whoa. So I guess you love him too, right?" I shook my head.

"That's the thing; I don't. But somehow he's convinced that I am." James sighed.

"Oh my god. What is it with you guys? First Kendall's all 'I'm not in love with Logan I just want to protect him from Jett' and hey, big surprise, he _is_ in love with you. And now you're like 'I don't love Kendall, I hate him but I kissed him because I just felt like it'. Just admit that you love him, stop dating Jett, prevent yourself from getting hurt, and date Kendall." I frowned.

"Okay, first of all, I do _not_ sound like that-"

"Yeah you do."

"Kendall being in love with me just happened."

"I disagree."

"I don't care. And I say I'm not in love with him because I'm _not_. And to be honest, I have no idea why I kissed him."

James groaned.

"Ugh, do you know how many wrinkles I'm going to get dealing with you two? Why's it always me? Man, I should get Carlos in on this. He's friends with Kendall so it's fine-"

"James…" I said warningly. He blinked.

"Oh, yeah. But you're not seeing what's right in front of your face. You kissed Kendall because you love him too. You're just too scared to admit it."

I swallowed hard and looked away.

"I'm not-"

"You're in denial too."

I sat down on the couch and chewed my lip. It…it made sense. Being in love with Kendall...made sense.

"I can't be in love with him. Not again." I said, my voice cracking.

"But you are." James said gently. He sat next to me.

"I can't be though. I…I told myself I'd never fall for him again. I loved him so much…and he just…" I trailed off.

"I know. But that's in the past. Kendall's changed, Logan. Maybe it's time you let go."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The Jo thing, me willing to forgive him, kissing him…it all happened because I loved him. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I knew it was true. And James was right. I _was_ scared of admitting that I loved Kendall. I didn't want to confront my feelings for him because I didn't want everything to be like the last time.

James told me he's changed, and when I'm around Kendall, I see that it's true. But for some reason, every time I look at him, I see the same guy from high school. I can't let go of what happened. And because of that, I couldn't admit my feelings. I don't want to be hurt again…especially by him.

I love him.

The words stirred a fluttery feeling inside my gut. And the more I thought them, the more they sounded true.

"I can't let go. Every time I look at him, he's the same Kendall from high school." I rested my elbows on my knees, leaning forward. I felt James place his hand on my back.

"He's not the same, Logan. And that's saying a lot coming from me, especially since I hated him too. But I can see how much he loves you…and how much you love him. This isn't going to be like the last time."

I nodded, looking at him.

"Thanks." I said softly. James smiled.

"No problem. But we still have another thing to talk about."

"Jett."

"Yep. Now that you've realized how you feel about Kendall, you need to stop dating him."

"I can't."

"Why not?" James asked, surprisingly calm.

"I need a little more time."

"So you can break him?"

"If you know what I'm going to say why are we talking about this?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm still trying to convince you not to do it."

"And I'm still going to do it." I said, glaring at him. "I don't want to fight about this again, James. I already told you how I feel."

James leaned back against the couch.

"I know." He said, frowning. "But I still want to stop this."

"Have a little faith in me, James." I mumbled.

He sighed quietly and began to get up.

"Sorry. You should go talk to Kendall now. About your feelings."

"If he knows, he'll try harder to stop me."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing."

"I'll wait until after I've done what I need to. I'll tell him then."

James shook his head.

"Fine. I should get going. I have to help my dad with the car when he gets home." I nodded and walked him to the door.

"Bye." I said. He grinned and pulled me into a quick hug.

"Bye."

I closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. Now that I admitted my feelings, I did feel a bit better. Now the next thing I had to do was tell Kendall. But like I said, I wasn't going to do that until I was done with Jett.

Speaking of Jett, our date was in two days. I had already planned what I was going to do. Afterwards, I was going to break up with him. Jett had fallen for me pretty fast, so hurting him shouldn't be so hard. I knew that he was notorious for hurting other people, but probably none of them had broken it off with him. So if the tables were turned, I could really hurt him.

The thought of me hurting someone like Jett didn't make me feel bad. Even though I had been hurt by Kendall, he wasn't horrible like Jett was. Whatever happens to him is deserved.

* * *

**Saturday Evening**

Well, today was the day. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I felt like I was going to puke any second. All the fights and disgusting kisses and preparation had been for this day. And now, it was finally here.

I was going to break Jett Stetson's heart.

The thought of it made me smirk in triumph. I knew it was a little too early to do that, but I couldn't help it. The fact that I'm even able to do this is pretty amazing.

The sound of the doorbell ringing made me jump. I took a deep breath and walked towards it, wiping my hands on my jeans. I opened the door and smiled.

"Hey," I said. Jett grinned.

"Hey. You looked good." He gave me a once-over, and I blushed slightly.

"Thanks." I said.

"No problem. Ready to go?"

I nodded and exited the house, locking the door and pocketing my keys. I followed him to his car, forcing myself to refrain from rolling my eyes when he opened the door for me.

"I should have told you this earlier, but I wasn't able to get the reservations for the restaurant. So I had to improvise." He said sheepishly. I shrugged.

"As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine." Bleh. I never want to say that again.

I smirked to myself. If tonight went according to plan, I wouldn't have to.

"Okay." Jett said, smiling at me. I smiled back sweetly, and he reversed out of the driveway.

He drove for a while, and none of us really talked. The silence wasn't awkward; it was comfortable. After a few minutes he pulled up in front of the beach. I squinted into the distance, where a saw a beach towel and a picnic basket, along with a few candles.

It was nice, if I disregarded who was going to be there with me.

Jett and I walked to the little picnic set-up, sitting across from each other.

"This is really nice." I said. Jett grinned.

"I'm glad you liked it."

He packed sandwiches and some water and soda, and we ate quietly. When we finished, we sat and looked up at the stars.

I kept wishing I was with Kendall.

"So how did you manage without me?" He asked as we were walking back to the car. I shrugged, and then realized he couldn't see me in the dark.

"We did okay. It was pretty uneventful. Everyone did what they were supposed to." I said. He nodded.

"That's good." He was silent for a few moments. "If anyone…_said_ anything, it's not true, okay?" He said.

I knew he was talking about how he hurt people. I didn't believe him.

"Okay." I said simply. He nodded. By then, we had reached the car. I placed the beach towel in the backseat, and he put the picnic basket on top of it. We sat in the car silently, and this time it felt awkward.

I kept repeating my plan in my head. When he went to drop me off, I would break it off. It would be a simple "It's over,". Hopefully, that would work. I hoped he wasn't one of those overly persistent guys. That would make everything much harder.

Jett turned the radio on, and we listened to his silently. My leg kept shaking, and I forced it to still. When we arrived at my house, Jett walked me to the door. He went to kiss me, but I turned my face away.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I took a deep breath.

_Here I go._

"It's over." I said. I silently congratulated myself on making my voice strong.

Jett looked surprised.

"You're breaking up with me?" He asked. I nodded.

"It's not working out." I said. He narrowed his eyes.

"It's because of him, isn't it? It's because of Kendall."

I decided to play dumb.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I said calmly. He laughed sarcastically.

"Bullshit. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He said, glaring at me.

Well, this escalated quickly.

"Whatever. I'm done." I turned around to put my key in the lock, but he grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him. My eyes widened in fear. This was _not_ what I anticipated would happen.

"Break up with me," He began, his voice threatening. He looked over at Kendall's house with a smirk. "And I'll hurt him."


	17. Confrontation

**Kendall's Point of View**

As soon as Logan walked into work on Monday, I knew something was wrong. His eyebrows were furrowed and he refused to look at anyone. He completely ignored Camille, and he barely looked at me. When I tried to talk to him, he would give me this scared, guilty look. It was confusing me. What happened? I was tempted to ask, but something told me I wouldn't be getting any answers.

Despite that, I cornered him in the break room. He was heating up the pasta he had bought for lunch. I pulled my sandwich out from the fridge. He sat down at the table, ignoring me completely. I wasn't surprised at that.

I sat down right next to him, scooting my chair close. Our arms brushed together every time we touched. After a few minutes of us touching, he went to get up. His Tupperware container was still full. I grabbed his arm and yanked him down to my level.

"You're going to talk, and I'm going to listen." I said firmly.

"There's nothing to talk about." He said stiffly, avoiding my eyes.

"You're lying. I know you are." I replied. He looked at me sharply.

"There's nothing to say." He repeated again, his voice cold as ice. He yanked his arm away from me, and slipped out of my grasp. I stood up quickly and grabbed his wrist.

I noted how he winced.

"Kendall, you're hurting me." He said quietly.

I stared down at his wrist and how my hand was curled around it. I loosened my grip and pushed the sleeve of his shirt up. The sight that greeted me made my eyes widen impossibly wide.

"I didn't do that, did I?" I asked desperately, my eyes glued to the hand-shaped bruise on Logan's wrist.

"No, you didn't do that." Logan whispered, voice cracking slightly. He pulled his wrist away from me and pulled his shirt down.

I could feel my anger begin to boil.

"It was him, wasn't it?" I started for the door, but Logan wrapped his arms around my waist and yanked me back. I could feel his face pressed into my back. After a couple of seconds, I could feel my shirt begin to get wet.

"Don't do anything Kendall, please don't do anything. I'll handle everything, okay? I'll fix this, I swear." He said, his voice muffled by my shirt.

I placed my hand on his arm.

"What are you going to fix, Logie? Did something happen with him?" I asked. I thought he was going to get mad at me again for calling him Logie, but he didn't. Instead, he wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"I'm going to fix this. I promise." He said again. He removed his arms from around me and went back to the table. I could hear him throwing out his food. I turned slightly to look at him, but he still avoided my gaze.

_What are you hiding from me?_

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

I absently rubbed my wrist. Yesterday, I had woken up and moved my arms, which had caused my wrist to throb. When I looked at it, I saw that Jett had left behind a nice, hand-shaped bruise. I guess he must have grabbed me really hard on Saturday. I wasn't really surprised that I hadn't noticed. I was probably too caught up in the whole "I'll hurt him and maybe even kill him," thing.

_Speaking of that…_

I really wanted to tell Kendall. But I was terrified of what was going to happen to me if I did. I knew that if I told Kendall, he would instantly go confront Jett. If he did that, I would be screwed. Jett would know I told, and who knows what kinds of things he would do to me and Kendall. Although, from what he said, I'm assuming Kendall would get the blunt of it.

I didn't want to believe that Jett was going to hurt Kendall. If anything, I just wanted to pretend Saturday night was a dream. But I knew I couldn't. Everything was real.

It…it was _my_ fault.

When I first said that I would hurt Jett, I knew it wouldn't go well. This tiny voice in the back of my head just would not shut up about it. There were all the warnings from James, and Camille, and hell, even Jett's own _brother_ warned me. And then, there was Kendall. While I spent the whole time insulting him and thinking that he was the same guy from two years ago, I failed to see he wasn't. He only wanted to protect me.

I pushed him away. Fuck, I pushed _all_ of them away. I put myself in this situation. I wanted to prove something. I wanted to prove I wasn't weak…but they already knew I wasn't. But I couldn't see that. I was too stupid to see.

Too stupid to see all the damage I was going to cause.

I glanced at Kendall. He was completely absorbed in his work, his eyes never leaving the computer screen in front of him. An uncomfortable feeling settled in my gut. What if today was the last day I would see him? What if Jett decided to do something today, and I could never see Kendall again? What if I never got to tell him I loved him?

"Kendall," I began. He looked up at me instantly.

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you." I said. His eyes hardened slightly.

"Can it wait? I'm almost done-"

"No. No, it can't wait. I have to tell you now," …_Before I lose my chance_.

"Alright." He agreed after a few seconds. He pushed himself away from his desk, and I led him downstairs and outside. I stopped in front of the bench and reached up, placing my hand on his face.

"What are you doing?" He asked me.

"Just shut up, please." I said. He looked shocked, but I didn't watch his expression for long. I leaned up and kissed him softly.

"I love you, okay? I love you." I said. It felt so good to finally say it. Kendall's hands rested on my sides, and he squeezed me gently.

"You're being serious?"

"One hundred percent." I said. He laughed a little and kissed me.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Not entirely." I said, pulling away from him. "I love you…but I can't break up with Jett." I added carefully.

Kendall's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why not?"

"I didn't do what I said I would." I said. He sighed heavily and pulled me closer to him.

"You love me."

"Yeah, I do." I said. He leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek.

"And when you love someone, you would do anything for them, right?" He asked, nibbling at my earlobe. I bit back a moan.

"Y-Yeah," I said. Kendall was making it hard to concentrate.

"So, break up with Jett. Forget all about this stupid breaking his heart thing you want to do."

I sighed. I figured he would say that. I moved my hands to his shoulder and pushed him away gently.

"I can't." I said. I prayed that Jett hadn't seen anything that had just happened. I could only imagine what he would do to Kendall if he saw.

"If he forcing you to stay or something?" Kendall asked. I avoided his piercing gaze.

"No, it's nothing like that." I lied. I plastered a fake smile on my face. "I'm almost at my goal. It's only a matter of days."

Kendall looked unsure for a moment. He quickly shook his head and pressed a small kiss to my forehead.

"You're being careful, right?" He asked.

"Extremely. Don't worry." I said. I could barely stop my voice from breaking. Kendall furrowed his eyebrows slightly before relaxing.

"Alright."

* * *

**Kendall's Point of View**

As I drove home from work, all I could think about was how suspicious Logan was acting. First, it was with the whole fixing something thing. Then he kept telling me he loved me, but that he couldn't break up with Jett. And then, he wouldn't tell me if anything had happened with Jett. Oh, and let's not forget that bruise on his wrist.

Was Jett beating him? My throat went dry as I thought of all the other places Logan could have bruises. I wished he would just tell me something. Maybe if I kept my anger in check, he would tell me. But it was impossibly hard. Jett was hurting Logan…_my_ Logan. That didn't sit well with me.

I was about to turn onto my street, but quickly made a U-turn and drove the other way. I entered the address into my GPS. How I remembered it was a mystery to me, but I wasn't about to sit there and think about it. I had something I needed to do.

When I pulled up in front of Jett's mansion, I could feel my anger begin to flare. I forced myself to keep it in check. I wasn't here to beat him into a bloody pulp, even though that was exactly what I wanted to. I was here to talk to him, man to man. I would go through this like a responsible adult...or, at least I hoped I would.

I approached the mansion, taking deep breaths in and out. It wasn't helping that much. I rang the door bell, forcing my hands to stop clenching.

_Relax, Kendall, relax,_ I told myself. I forced myself to think of things that made me happy, like hockey or Logan. But as soon as I thought about him, Jett immediately came to mind. I focused entirely on hockey.

Finally, the door opened. A woman I didn't recognize looked at me. I figured she was Jett's maid or something.

"Can I help you?" She asked pleasantly. I swallowed.

"Uh, yeah. I need to talk to Jett."

The woman frowned slightly.

"Mr. Stetson is in his office right now. He has requested that he be left alone."

I chewed my cheek in irritation.

"Look, it's really important. It'll only take a few moments." I said, almost begging. The woman sighed and opened the door a little wider.

"Alright, but just a few minutes." She said. I nodded and thanked her, making my way to the large staircase in front of me. My feet automatically led me to Jett's office.

I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"I said I wanted to be alone!" He called through the door. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, well I could honestly care less about what you want." I responded. I heard shuffling from inside before the door opened.

"Kendall? What are you doing here?" Jett asked. I narrowed my eyes.

"I need to talk to you." I said. Jett raised an eyebrow before opening the door wider. I entered silently, and the door clicked closed behind me.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, making his way back to the desk. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Are you hitting Logan?" I growled. Jett gave me a shocked look.

"What kind of man do you take me as? I would never hit him." He said. I thought back to the bruise on Logan's wrist.

"Then why does he have a bruise on his wrist?" I demanded. Jett's expression evened out.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said. "Is there anything else you needed to say? I'm kind of busy right now."

I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"I told you to back off." I snarled. "Why are you forcing him to stay with you?"

Jett held his hands up defensively.

"Whoa there buddy. I'm not forcing Logan to stay with me. It's not my fault he chose to stay with me."

"Only because he's trying to prove something." I said. His face fell, and I smirked. "What, did you really think he loves you?"

"He may love you," Jett began, smirking. "But at the end of the day, _I'll _be the one fucking him."

My hands clenched into fists.

"He hates your guts." I spat. "There's no way he'd let you touch him."

I was forcing myself to sound calm. On the inside, my anger was going through the roof. There was no way Logan would have sex with Jett…so why was I so pissed off? Logan said he loves me. He'd never say that to Jett. I knew it would never happen, yet the thought of it made me so unbelievably upset.

Jett gave me an amused look.

"Who said I needed his permission?

Just like that, I snapped. I lunged at Jett, tacking him to the floor.

"You piece of shit." I growled. "If you so much as lay a _finger _on him, I'll fucking kill you."

Even though he was pinned to the ground and my hands were wrapped around his neck, he still had the nerve to smirk.

"Not if I kill you first."

His words made me loosen my grip.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I hissed.

"It's not that difficult to understand. I suggest you go home. Unless your want the police to get involved."

I reluctantly got off of him. I gave him the coldest look I could.

"I'm serious about this, Jett. If you touch him, I'll kill you. That's a promise."

He only continued to smirk at me.


	18. Hurt

**Warning! There is rape in this chapter.**

* * *

**Logan's Point of View**

Jett pressed his lips against my neck, causing me to wince and push him away.

"Stop that." I said quietly. I didn't want him to touch me.

He growled into my ear, and the sound made me shift uncomfortably.

We were currently in the living room of my house. Jett had come over suddenly, drunk. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was already dangerous sober, I didn't want to know what he was like drunk.

"It's because I'm not him, isn't it? If I was Kendall, you would have no problem with me touching you, would you?" He snapped, pressing himself against me. I could feel his erection poking into my thigh, and I squirmed away from it.

"You're forcing me to stay with you or else you'll hurt him." I said, struggling against the grip he had on me. "Why _would_ I want you to touch me?"

I felt his body stiffen, and panic rose in my chest. I should have known he wouldn't have reacted positively to me. He suddenly grabbed me and positioned himself so he was over me. My eyes darted around, trying to find a way out.

"What do you see in him?" He screamed at me. "Why does he have that so fucking fantastic?"

"Well for one, he's not a fucked up freak." I snapped, and it wasn't until the words left my mouth I realized what I said.

My eyes widened, and I desperately tried to get out from underneath Jett. But it was too late. His hand collided with my cheek. I cried out in pain, and he suddenly stopped. His hung head low. I tried to get out from underneath him, but he grabbed my thigh.

"I didn't want to hurt you." He said quietly. He sat back on his heels, staring at me with teary eyes. "I just want you to love me."

I didn't care about the consequences of this. I was done getting hit and threatened by this psychotic bastard.

"I'm breaking up with you." I said, my cheek throbbing. "You can threaten me all you want, but I'm not staying with you for one more second."

Something in Jett snapped. He lunged forward, attaching his lips to me. I squirmed away, lifting my hands and pushing against him. But I couldn't get him away. I lifted my leg and kicked him as hard as I could. He was pushed back, his arms moving from either side of me. I scrambled off of the couch, falling to the ground. I tried to get to my feet, but he slammed me to the ground.

My eyes widened as his hands went for the button on my jeans. I frantically kicked at him, scratching at his face. He jerked away from me, groaning in pain. I kicked him away, crawling away from him on my hands and knees.

Unfortunately, my kick didn't keep him away for long. He crawled after me, holding my ankles in his hands. I tried to sit up the best I could, trying to scratch at him.

"Get away from me!" I screamed as loud as I could. I prayed that someone could hear my yelling. It was unlikely, but I was desperate.

"Shut the fuck up!" Jett growled, his right hand shooting out to grip my air. I screamed in pain as he slammed my head to the ground.

"Stop it!" I tried to kick him again, but he flipped me onto my stomach. I groaned in pain when my forehead slammed into the floor.

"He thinks you won't let me touch you. But he's wrong, right?" He yanked me up so that my back was to his chest. His hand gripped my jaw tightly.

"No," I said with much difficultly. "He's right."

Jett snarled and tightened his grip. I brought my elbow back into his stomach hard. He grunted in pain and let go of me, only to grab me again. I thrashed violently.

"Get the hell off of me!" I growled.

"Cooperate, and I'll think about going easy on you." He snapped.

"I'm not having sex with you."

He chuckled darkly.

"What makes you think I need your permission?"

My eyes widened. I squirmed in his grip, trying desperately to get away from him. He held my wrists together tightly in one hand. Panic flared in my chest when I heard the faint sound of a zipper opening. There was a faint slinking sound, and I was roughly pushed to the floor. He sat on the backs of my thighs, limiting my movement. I growled and tried to move my body upwards, but he grabbed my hair again. I grunted in pain.

I felt something slide around my wrists. It took a few seconds for me to realize it was Jett's belt. I tried to move my hands apart, but it was no use. They were tied together, and I had no way of getting them free.

Jett got off of me, gripping me around the waist so that my shoulders were pressing into the ground. His hands felt for my button again. I heard him chuckling as he unbuttoned them, and I began to thrash again when he began to push them past my hips.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed at him. His hand wrapped around my throat, effectively squeezing me and cutting off my air supply.

"Shut up. Or I'll _really_ hurt you."

I tried to move again, but the grip around my throat tightened. I forced myself to stop moving.

"Just get it over with." I muttered.

I heard him laugh, and the sound made me sick to my stomach. My jeans were pushed down to the back of my knees, with my boxers following shortly after. I heard the rustling, and then the head of Jett's dick was pressing against my hole.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared myself for the pain. He pushed in quickly, and I screamed out. It hurt like a bitch. He continued moving in and out at a fast pace. I could feel warmness inside me that I knew was blood.

The pain was unbearable. Jett was grunting loudly behind me, gripping my hips tightly. Tears began to form at the corner of my eyes. My hands were clenched into fists so tight that I could feel my nails digging into my skin.

After a few minutes that felt like hours, Jett finally came. I couldn't stop the loud sob that released itself. He pulled out roughly, and my body fell bonelessly to the floor. I heard him scoff from behind me.

"Pathetic." He muttered. I turned slightly so I could see him.

"I hate you." I hissed. He smirked.

"Still want to break up with me?" He asked. I nodded. He narrowed his eyes before tucking himself back into his pants and zippering them up. "You're making a big mistake, you know."

"I'm not." I said, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. "I'm done with you."

"Whatever. I hope you know that this means I can hurt Kendall however I see fit."

"I won't let you." I said firmly. I tried to sit up, but the pain from my backside forced me to stay still.

Jett laughed sarcastically.

"What could you possibly do? You're nothing but a worthless whore. Thanks for the fuck."

He grabbed his jacket off of the couch and leaned down towards me. I flinched as he came close to me. He rolled his eyes and undid the belt before rolling it up and leaving. I heard the front door slam shut.

I slowly pulled my underwear and jeans back up, crying from the pain. I forced myself to my knees and shuffled over to the coffee table. I grabbed my phone and dialed the number I knew from heart.

"Hello?"

"I-I need you."

* * *

Kendall was over in minutes. I hadn't move from my spot in front of the coffee table. He came towards me quickly, his hands gently holding my face.

"Oh my god." He breathed out. "What happened to you?"

I swallowed roughly and stared at my lap. The memory of Jett putting his hands on me made me sick to my stomach. I felt like I could still feel him touching me. I sniffled and wiped at my face with the back of my hand.

"I don't want to talk about it right now." I whispered. The memory was too fresh in my brain.

Kendall swallowed and hesitantly wrapped his arms around me. I collapsed against him, crying into his chest. He held me tighter and gently lifted me up. I buried my face into his neck. He went upstairs and down the hall, where I told him my room was. He kicked the door open with his toe and walked over to the bed. I winced when my bottom came in contact with the bed. Kendall began to walk away. I shifted onto my side, reaching out and grabbing his wrist.

"Don't go." I said, almost begging. Kendall's eyes softened.

"I wasn't. I was just going to put my shoes by the door." He told me quietly. I released his wrist and watched as he grabbed his sneakers in one hand, putting them by my bedroom door.

He sat on the edge of my bed, running his hand through his hair. I almost cried at how gentle he was being with me.

"Was it Jett?" He asked, his voice dangerously quiet. I nodded slowly. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

"He forced me." I mumbled. Kendall tensed from beside me.

"He…."

"Yes." I began to cry again. "I tried to break up with him on Saturday. He got really pissed off and told me he'd hurt you if I did. So I stayed. But today he came over drunk. He was mad because I wouldn't let him touch me. I called him a freak and he hit me." I paused, forcing myself to calm down. "I broke up with him, and that's when he…" I trailed off, unable to finish.

Kendall's eyes were dark with anger.

"I'm going to kill him." He said. My eyes widened.

"You can't!"

"He hurt you Logan! He _raped_ you! I knew this would happen! I knew he was going to hurt you like this." He gripped my shoulders, hanging his head low. "I'm not letting him anywhere near you ever again."

I wiped at my face.

"It's my fault anyway." I muttered. "Everyone told me to stop. They told me how dangerous he was and how he could hurt me. But I didn't listen. I was too focused on proving myself to everyone…proving myself to _you_."

His head snapped up.

"Me?" He whispered. I nodded slowly.

"You told me I didn't have the balls to play his game. I wanted to prove you wrong." I said, swallowing roughly. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "It's not your fault, Kendall. I'm the one who took it too far."

He chewed his lip.

"Did anything else happen?" He asked. I sighed.

"He told me he was going to hurt you."

"Not if I hurt him first." Kendall said, his free hand curling into a fist. "I'm going to make him regret ever touching you." He glanced at me. "We could tell the police about what he did."

I shook my head quickly. I had already made everyone's life more difficult. Doing that could only make things worse, and that wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

"That would make everything even worse than it already is." Kendall looked like he wanted to protest, but I shut him up with a glare.

"Fine, we won't tell." He said. I watched him clench his jaw. "We should quit."

"Yeah." I agreed. I didn't want to be anywhere near Jett.

"Then…we could move." Kendall said, glancing at me.

I blinked in surprise.

"We?"

He flushed slightly.

"You don't want to stay here, do you?" He asked. I shook my head. "And I don't want to lose you. We could move somewhere far away from here…together."

I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Are you asking me to move away with you? We aren't even dating." I mumbled the last sentence.

Kendall moved his hand from my head and laced our hands together. I stared at our intertwined hands.

"It doesn't matter. We love each other, right? That's all that matters."

"Yeah," I said, still staring at our hands. "I guess it is."

* * *

**There are probably only a few more chapters after this one, and possibly an epilogue. **


End file.
